We don't need no steenkeen election security

The White House statement released after Friday's meeting lacked details of any new security efforts.

"The President’s discussion with his NSC addressed threats posed to our elections from malign foreign actors, efforts underway to provide cybersecurity assistance to state and local authorities, and actions to investigate, prosecute, and hold accountable those who illegally attempt to interfere in our political and electoral processes," the White House statement said. "The Trump Administration will continue to provide the support necessary to the owners of elections systems — state and local governments — to secure their elections."

[...]

After nearly two years of calling Russian election interference a hoax and its investigation a witch hunt, President Donald Trump on Friday presided over the first National Security Council meeting devoted to defending American democracy from foreign manipulation.

"The President has made it clear that his administration will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections from any nation state or other malicious actors," the White House said in a statement afterward.

But current and former officials tell NBC News that 19 months into his presidency, there is no coherent Trump administration strategy to combat foreign election interference — and no single person or agency in charge.

[...]

To be sure, individual government agencies have responded in various ways. The Department of Homeland Security is working with states to improve cyber security in voting systems. The FBI created a "foreign influence task force," and the Justice Department announced a new policy his month to inform the public about bots and trolls on social media. The National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command are coordinating to counter Russian influence in cyberspace, the general in charge of those agencies has said.

But even members of Trump's national security cabinet have acknowledged the need for a central, unifying effort — one that experts say is missing. Senior officials have also admitted that the government has failed to take steps necessary to give the Russians second thoughts about intervening in American politics.

[...]

If any evidence was needed that the Russians haven't been deterred, a Democratic senator, Claire McCaskill of Missouri, said Thursday she was the target of an unsuccessful Russian hacking attempt. A Microsoft official says that company has also observed attempted Russian hacks against two other unnamed candidates.

[...]

Last week, House Republicans voted down a proposal by Democrats to increase election funding to states by $380 million.

  NBC

Of course they did.

The White House eliminated the job of cyber security coordinator on the National Security Council.

!

Actually, we may never have had any real election security.  Certainly at least since the introduction of electronic voting machines.  On the other hand - who was it who said, "It's not who votes that counts, but who counts the votes."

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.