Federal agencies declassify election documents and open investigations

President Trump announced the immediate declassification and release of intelligence documents on election infrastructure during a primetime speech from the East Room. The documents show internal government debates about how to assess China's efforts to influence U.S. elections, but do not reveal new weaknesses in election systems or evidence that foreign governments manipulated votes.

Agency actions and directives Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin stated at a Friday news briefing that tens of thousands of noncitizens were on voter rolls and warned local election officials could face prison if they did not act on the information.

The president directed the FBI, CIA, Office of the Director of National Intelligence, and Justice Department to investigate what he described as a cover-up by U.S. officials of China's election influence efforts.

State resistance and legal challenges At least 30 states have refused to hand over voter data in response to Justice Department requests. A federal judge halted a Postal Service proposal that would have allowed the agency to refuse delivery of mail ballots in states that did not turn over voter rolls.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has demanded that states change election procedures or risk losing federal terrorism-prevention funds. "Your insinuations of criminal violations of the federal election laws are not well taken," James E.M. Craig, a lawyer in the Idaho attorney general's office, wrote in response to Justice Department letters.

Cisco Aguilar, Nevada's Democratic secretary of state, said his office expanded cybersecurity operations and started a program to text voters about mail ballot status in anticipation of federal challenges.