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HELENA, Mont. — Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen announced today that the Secretary of State’s Office is providing $1 million in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) allocation to Montana’s county election offices to enhance and upgrade security measures for Montana elections.
All 56 counties can request the funding, which must fulfill certain objectives related to election security, including:
- Implementing election security requirements in Montana Administrative Rule,
- Hiring third-party security assessments and implementing recommendations,
- Installing security and surveillance cameras.
“It’s imperative that we ensure security, both physical and cyber, to protect our Montana elections,” said Secretary Jacobsen. “Since I was elected, we have made it a priority to upgrade and enhance security measures for our elections. The Department of Homeland Security has designated election systems as ‘critical infrastructure’ across the country, so it’s necessary for Montana to implement the proper security protocols to protect our elections, train our state and local election officials, and provide confidence to voters across Montana.”
Secretary Jacobsen and the Secretary of State’s Office have adopted comprehensive rules to strengthen election security, including requirements for security awareness training, physical security safeguards, and other protective measures that are now in place statewide.
Beyond routine training and updates, counties are encouraged to continually bolster their security posture. To support that work, the Secretary of State’s Office has previously provided subgrants to Montana counties to implement security assessment recommendations and put additional security measures and procedures in place.