Congressman David Valadao of California and Congressman Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania have reintroduced the Strengthening Election Cybersecurity to Uphold Respect for Elections through Independent Testing (SECURE IT) Act. The bipartisan legislation aims to improve the security of voting systems by requiring simulated cyberattacks, known as penetration testing, during the standard certification process.
“Ensuring trust in our nation’s elections is vital, and in order for people to have confidence in our democratic process, we need to be doing everything we can to secure any vulnerabilities,” said Congressman Valadao. “The SECURE IT Act would proactively help discover potential flaws in our electoral system by outlining robust system security check requirements, and I’m proud to help lead this bipartisan effort to strengthen our election infrastructure.”
“We’ve got to do everything we can to shore up America’s cybersecurity and voting systems and help make sure they remain strong and secure,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I’m proud that this bipartisan bill will help identify and fix voting system vulnerabilities and conduct important system testing. We must make sure America’s democratic infrastructure can weather any and all attacks from our adversaries.”
Currently, federal law requires the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to test and certify voting system hardware and software. However, regulations under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 do not specifically require penetration testing. The SECURE IT Act would direct the EAC to include this practice in its certification process. It would also establish a voluntary program for independent researchers to report cybersecurity risks they find in election systems.
David Valadao has represented California’s 22nd district in Congress since 2021 after replacing TJ Cox. He previously served in the California State Assembly from 2010 to 2012. Born in Hanford, California in 1977, Valadao continues to reside there.
