11/6/2018 Joint Statement on Election Day Preparations | Homeland Security

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Joint Statement on Election Day

Preparations
Release Date:  November 5, 2018

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), U.S. Department of Justice
(DOJ), the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI)—in coordination with federal, state, local, and private sector partners
nationwide—are continuing efforts to protect our elections. Today, DHS Secretary Kirstjen
Nielsen, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, DNI Dan Coats, and FBI Director Christopher Wray
released the following joint statement:

“Our agencies have been working in unprecedented ways to combat influence efforts and to
support state and local officials in securing our elections, including efforts to harden election
infrastructure against interference. Our goal is clear: ensure every vote is counted and counted
correctly. At this time we have no indication of compromise of our nation’s election
infrastructure that would prevent voting, change vote counts, or disrupt the ability to tally
votes.”

“But Americans should be aware that foreign actors – and Russia in particular – continue to try
to influence public sentiment and voter perceptions through actions intended to sow discord.
They can do this by spreading false information about political processes and candidates,
lying about their own interference activities, disseminating propaganda on social media, and
through other tactics. The American public can mitigate these efforts by remaining informed,
reporting suspicious activity, and being vigilant consumers of information, as discussed
below.”

“The United States will not tolerate foreign interference in our elections from Russia, China,
Iran, or other nations. As noted in a  joint statement (https://www.dni.gov/index.php/newsroom/press-
releases/item/1915-joint-statement-from-the-odni-doj-fbi-and-dhs-combating-foreign-influence-in-u-s-elections)  on
October 19, 2018, such actions are a threat to our democracy, and identifying and preventing
this interference is one of our highest priorities. On September 12, President Trump signed
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11/6/2018 Joint Statement on Election Day Preparations | Homeland Security

an executive order (https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-imposing-certain-

sanctions-event-foreign-interference-united-states-election/)  that makes clear the U.S. government will
not hesitate to defend our electoral processes or punish those who attempt to undermine
them.” 

“Our agencies have been making preparations for nearly two years in advance of these
elections and are closely engaged with officials on the ground to help them ensure the voting
process is secure. Americans can rest assured that we will continue to stay focused on this
mission long after polls have closed.”

To learn more about efforts to protect America’s elections please visit:

https://www.dhs.gov/topic/election-security (https://www.dhs.gov/topic/election-security) .

Voters can take a few simple steps to help secure our elections, including: 

Get Election Information Straight from the Source – Your State or Local Election Office.
Call them or check their website. They will have accurate information you can trust on
the status of your voter registration, polling hours and location, identification
requirements, and election results.
Be Smart When Consuming or Sharing Election-Related Information: Know Your Source
—And Think Before You Link. Compare reporting from multiple sources to determine
reliable information. Before sharing, ask yourself, “Who wrote it? Who posted it? What
are their sources?”

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Topics:  Election Security (/topics/election-security)

Keywords:  Election security (/keywords/election-security)

Last Published Date: November 5, 2018

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