State CIOs support election technology, but secretaries of state often manage the systems

State chief information officers oversee technology across much of state government, but election systems often fall under the responsibility of IT departments within secretaries of state offices.

That arrangement divides responsibility between state IT agencies and election administrators on Election Day. While CIO offices may provide cybersecurity, infrastructure and operational support during elections, secretaries of state often maintain control of their own technology systems. Beyond administering elections and their leaders serving as chief election officials, secretary of state offices also often support a range of other technical agency functions, including business and professional licensing, corporate filings, records management, document processing and public-facing digital services.

In states such as Missouri and Connecticut, independently elected secretaries of state maintain their own IT operations, while state CIO offices provide support and coordination during elections.

Missouri CIO John Laurent said the Secretary of State’s office has its own IT department, which is responsible for the technology and infrastructure used to administer elections. Laurent said his team, which oversees IT for the executive branch and state agencies, works with the Secretary of State’s IT staff on Election Day to help manage increased traffic, security and communications needs.

Connecticut follows a similar model. CIO Mark Raymond said the Secretary of the State is a separately elected office and manages its own technology and digital infrastructure.

Raymond said his office partners with the Secretary of the State’s office on cybersecurity awareness and election preparedness, including tabletop exercises and event monitoring to prepare for increased traffic on Election Day and election night.

The Nevada Secretary of State’s office similarly maintains primary responsibility for election operations while the state’s broader IT agency provides infrastructure and cybersecurity support. Nevada CIO Timothy Galluzi said the state’s Government Technology Office manages SilverNet, the state’s network infrastructure, and can provide additional technical support at the Secretary of State’s request.

Pennsylvania’s IT office, however, appears to have more involvement in election infrastructure. The Pennsylvania Office of Administration, which oversees technology for state government, said it works with the Department of State and county election officials to prepare election systems each year, with coordination beginning months before November and continuing through Election Day.

The office confirmed that it plays a role in maintaining, hosting and supporting the state’s election results website and other election-related digital infrastructure, but declined to discuss specific system configurations, performance testing or security measures. 

A spokesperson for the office said the state proactively tests and monitors election info websites and has business continuity and disaster recovery plans to ensure election results remain available in the event of a disruption.

Pennsylvania is also unique in that its OA received $30 million in state funding under Gov. Josh Shapiro — $10 million annually over three consecutive fiscal years — to strengthen cybersecurity capabilities across the state government. The funding supports enhanced cyber defenses, monitoring and threat detection for agencies and programs supported by the Office of Administration, including election operations at the Department of State.

The state’s CIO and chief information security officer also participate in an Elections Integrity Task Force led by the Secretary of State’s office to maintain communication and coordinate incident response. Galluzi said the agency’s operational and cybersecurity teams remain on standby during elections, though he described the Secretary of State’s team as well-equipped to manage Election Day operations.

SOS IT offices also provide another function:maintaining public-facing information systems. In Texas and Kansas, secretaries of state offices provide centralized websites for reporting election results, while counties remain responsible for counting ballots and reporting local returns.

The Texas Secretary of State’s office maintains a results portal for statewide and district-level races. Local races and ballot measures are reported through county websites, where results may appear before they are reflected in the state’s system, creating temporary differences between the two.

Kansas uses a similar approach. Secretary of State Scott Schwab reminded voters Tuesday that the office’s website would publish unofficial results as counties report their returns, allowing voters to follow statewide and legislative races. Results for local contests are available through individual county websites.

Arizona took a different approach to modernizing its election-night reporting system, and replaced its existing platform with Enhanced Voting’s Enhanced Results software for Tuesday’s general election. The system collects, validates and displays election data submitted through existing county reporting processes, presenting results through interactive maps, charts and public-facing dashboards.

The statewide rollout builds on the platform’s existing use in four Arizona counties and is intended to give voters a centralized place to follow unofficial results as counties report returns. Secretary of State Adrian Fontes has cited accessibility, security and transparency as priorities behind the transition, as well as last year’s cyberattack that saw the state’s online candidate portal defaced.

“We have a duty to ensure our systems remain secure, modern, and resilient — now and for every election to come,” Fontes said in a statement about the breach last year.