It may be August, but county clerks across Missouri are already planning for the 2020 elections. Next year voters will go to the polls in March, April, August and November to make their voice heard on contests and issues affecting our local communities, our state and the nation. As election administrators, we know how critical it is that voters have confidence in the results of those elections. That charge is more important today than ever, as we see continued efforts to weaken the strength of our nation’s foundation by compromising the security and reputation of our free and fair elections.

Administering elections in Missouri has become increasingly complex, putting significant strain on local officials’ budgets already stretched thin due to a variety of unfunded state and federal mandates. We are engaging in cybersecurity initiatives and building on measures already in place, including paper ballots, bipartisan oversight of Election Day procedures, and pre-and post-testing of election equipment. However, county clerks are constantly challenged by a lack of resources, making it difficult to implement many widely-endorsed election security measures, which is exactly what those who desire to compromise the integrity of our elections are counting on as we head towards 2020.

The need for additional resources is demonstrated in a recently released report, Defending Elections, a joint product of the Alliance for Securing Democracy, Pitt Cyber, R Street, and the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law. The report details how six states have spent their portion of the $380 million provided by Congress in 2018. We are encouraged that Secretary of State Ashcroft secured $7.2 million of those funds to help local election authorities after updating the state Central Voter Registration system, but the challenges facing the local officials identified in the report – namely a lack of local IT staff and significant funding constraints – are also a real concern for Missouri’s local election officials. The report concludes that, “given the myriad security challenges faced by these states, $380 million is not enough to address the [election security] needs of state and local election officials.” We agree.

There is no doubt that election security is national security. Safe and successful elections require extensive preparation, a dedicated team of election judges and staff, and, importantly, resources. Our partnerships with state and federal election and security agencies are exceptionally important to our efforts, but they are simply not enough to maximize our confidence for 2020. Local election officials in Missouri need federal financial resources to further strengthen and defend our election infrastructure against threats at the county level. We encourage Missouri’s federal delegation on both sides of the aisle to support efforts to ensure funding without any unnecessary political agendas preventing appropriation.

Regards,

Brianna Lennon

Boone County Clerk

Shane Schoeller

Greene County Clerk