State election officials report reduced federal threat information sharing ahead of 2026 midterms

State election officials say federal agencies have reduced routine information sharing on election-related threats, according to an internal memo prepared by the Bipartisan National Association of Secretaries of State. The memo summarizes March meetings in which state officials assessed the reliability of federal threat data.

It states that federal agencies are no longer viewed by states as reliable or sufficient options for serving as the national hub for election threat information sharing.

Background on federal role Since 2018, the federal government has relayed information from the FBI and the director of national intelligence to state officials about threats from foreign governments and hackers. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, created by legislation signed by President Donald Trump, previously conducted training sessions, national security briefings, and in-person cybersecurity assessments for state facilities.

Sarah Wire, a senior national news reporter at USA TODAY, reported that some of those activities have stopped. She said layoffs and early retirements of agency staff occurred in the first months of the current Trump administration.

State responses and private sector role State officials told Wire that associations such as the National Association of Secretaries of State are expanding voluntary training programs and increasing coordination with technology companies. Google and Microsoft have offered additional threat-tracking support, though the companies charge fees that the federal government previously covered.

A Washington State secretary of state described a past incident in which a federal agency director alerted him overnight to an attempted foreign access of a county website, allowing immediate protective action. Officials said information from private companies tends to arrive after incidents rather than in advance.