Cord Byrd reassures Florida election security after CISA report outlines Dominion system vulnerabilities

Cord Byrd under fire. Image via Colin Hackley.

In an advisory sent Friday, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) outlined “vulnerabilities” within the Dominion Voting Systems Democracy Suite ImageCast X, but ultimately found no evidence that flaws in Dominion voting machines were exploited, including in the 2020 election.

“While these vulnerabilities present risks that should be mitigated as soon as possible, CISA has no evidence that these vulnerabilities have been exploited in any elections,” the advisory reads.

Although the system is not and has never been used in Florida, the report prompted a response from recently appointed Secretary of State Cord Byrd.

In response to the report, which also provided advice on election system security, Byrd released a statement thanking the CISA for “reassuring Florida’s voters that voting systems in our state have been and continue to remain secure.”

“Florida’s voters can be confident in the integrity of Florida’s elections systems,” Byrd, who also serves as Florida’s Chief Election Officer, said in a statement. “Florida law is very clear, the paper ballot is the best evidence of a voter’s intent. We recognize that Florida’s robust election laws and procedures are the cornerstones to ensuring efficient, accurate elections and boosting voter confidence about elections administration in our state.”

The Florida Department of State said in a statement that Florida’s election officials are compliant with the applicable recommendations in CISA’s advisory, adding that “Florida’s strong election laws and procedures protect the integrity of the state’s election results.”

According to the FDS statement, Florida election law requires the use of paper ballots, robust certification standards for all voting systems, strict security procedures that are reviewed and updated before each election cycle, pre- and postelection public testing of the voting equipment used, a comprehensive chain of custody procedures, background checks on all employees and rigorous postelection audits.

The protocols “provide strong preemptive safeguards” to prevent any unauthorized person from having access to the systems.

“The safeguards we have established in Florida to protect the voice of our voters and our democracy are the core of what we do,” Leon County Supervisor of Elections and Florida Supervisor of Elections President Mark Earley said in a statement. “The vulnerabilities detailed in the report are analogous to leaving your car unlocked with the keys on the front seat and then being surprised that someone might be able to steal it. That is not how we treat ballots or voting systems in Florida. We keep them securely stored, sealed, locked, and monitored at all times as part of our security procedures. We also test, retest, audit, and review our procedures after each election cycle to continually improve our practices to meet the latest evolving threats.”

Byrd, appointed to the position at the end of May, will oversee the Primary Election on Aug. 23 and the General Election on Nov. 8. The Department will implement the Office of Election Crimes and Security under his watch.