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FBI urges increased security around elections

Posted at 11:33 PM, Aug 31, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-31 23:33:06-04

INDIANAPOLIS -- Election security was in the spotlight this week as the FBI warned that hackers have targeted voter registration systems in two states.

Federal investigators are urging election officials in Indiana and across the country to step up security.

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson says the likelihood of someone tampering with the outcome of an election in the Hoosier state is low.

She says the security measures and protocols in place put Indiana ahead of the curve.

In Indiana, clerks run the elections in all 92 counties, but the state manages voter registration and reporting systems.

Lawson says her office has monthly meetings with the vendor in charge of Indiana's statewide voter registration system. She says she's been reassured in light of the FBI alert that the vendor has measures in place to deter any type of threat.

Indiana also has a unique, first-of-its-kind partnership with Ball State University called the "Voting System Technical Oversight Program." It's been in place for several years, and is centered around certification and testing of equipment.

"It really is next-to-impossible for a hacker to get in and to alter the outcome of the elections in our state," Lawson said.

She also noted that the results of state elections aren't "official" until they've been audited 10 days after votes are cast.