How federal policy shifts and funding cuts could affect your local election

Election Day is right around the corner. You may have already voted. Or have a plan to vote. Or perhaps you haven’t thought about it yet. 

Either way, it’s worth paying attention to more than just who’s on the ballot.

Sidestepping a soapbox about why local voting is so important, this year also matters because a lot has changed since last year’s race. I’m not talking about candidates: National shifts in cybersecurity policy and government funding priorities could affect local elections.

CISA, the agency that oversees the physical security and cybersecurity of US elections (plus a lot more), has undergone staff reductions and budget cuts since Trump took office earlier this year. The federal agency is responsible for sharing threat information, providing training and reducing risks during state and local elections. 

“CISA’s mission is ensuring state and local election officials are cognizant of and utilize the most capable and timely threat intelligence, expertise and resources they need to defend against risks,” Marci McCarthy, director of public affairs, told me this week.

But roughly 1,000 of 3,700 employees had left CISA as of June 2025, according to Axios reporting. Plus, recent layoffs reduced staff even more, and only 35% of the agency is cleared to work during the shutdown.

I also checked in with the US Election Assistance Commission, responsible for helping election officials improve voting administration — and that didn’t provide any solace on security resources, either. I got an out-of-office auto reply that said, due to the funding lapse, the inbox won’t be monitored until the government reopens.

Federal pain points don’t end there. With cuts to the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center, states like Pennsylvania — also going through its own budget impasse — have to take on more responsibility. 

“The Department of State will rely more heavily on our state and local security and law enforcement partners for this year’s municipal election,” Matt Heckel, press secretary at the PA DOS, told me. 

So, what now? Still go vote. Elections are historically safe and secure, and none of this should stop you from going out to the ballot box. But it sure could be nice to have the extra staff and cash just to make sure.