Id appreciate it. Im going to take the role now, vice chair. Present. Commissioner palmer. Here. Commissioner thomas hicks. Here. So we have a quorum of the commission. Good afternoon, i thank you for joining us today as the u. S. Election Assistance Commission convenes an Election Security forum for the security challenge Election Administrators face ahead of the 2020 president ial election. This vital conversation will provide us with a better understanding of ways the commission can help jurisdictions address a variety of Security Issues, including those that stem from aging Voting Technology. When Congress Passed the help america vote act of 2002, it established the eac as the only federal entity solely focused on Election Officials and voters they serve. Part of our charge is to be the nations clearinghouse on Election Administration. It is this responsibility that brings us here today and guides our Election Security efforts. Eac prides itself addressing significant issues and this again is an example of that work. While there are plenty of News Headlines that can serve as the backdrop for this conversation were not here to address an individual media report, were gathered for a comprehensive look at this hour and a panel with experts, including secretaries ever state, a state election director, our federal partners this this space, election testing and certification, and election authority. These with its could not be more timely or important. Election security is front of mind for everyone, especially those on the front lines administering the vote. Theyve recently released 2018 Election Administration and Voting Survey revealed nationwide these Election Officials deploying 334,422 pieces of equipment to cast and tabulate votes in the 2018 midterm elections. Election officials are responsible for each and every piece of that equipment. We know they rely on the eac to provide the resources and support to help make election systems more secure and resilient. We all have the responsibility to provide that assistance. It is my wish that we leave todays forum with a better understanding of the challenges that administrators face and ongoing administrations and security threats and administer elections that garner confidence in the end result. Ill ask to make statements. Thank you, chairwoman mccormick. In the roughly six months since commissioner palmer and i were sworn in, eac has a look at voting accuracy. It was to start a 90 day on the Voting System or guidelines. We held meetings on the new draft version of the principles and guidelines and we heard 2. 0 is a significant step forward to modernize Voting Technology. We also discussed how the voluntary nature of the bbsg results in a system where the full value is only realized if the guidelines and the testing and Certification Program are utilized across the country. We should drive to create a testing and certification system and provide access and security to the American Voters that the American Voters deserve. Speaking of testing and ke Certification Program we recently added those would decades of experience with election equipment and testing and certification to dr. Jerome lavatos team. We are lucky to have talented individuals working here. Im confident our testing and Certification Team specifically will rise to the challenge before us today and work with election individuals, Voting System manufacturers, our Voting SystemTest Laboratories as well as our federal partners from the International Absolute of technology and security infrastructure and Security Agency to quickly develop processes and procedures to incentivize the Voting Systems in the field. Doing so is crucial to the security of our election system. But such updates do not exist in a vacuum. Earlier i mentioned our work on the bbsg. Were working with our partners on drafting the new Technology Requirements that will be crucial to developing the next generation of voting equipment. These efforts should compliment the important conversations happening every day in the elections field on issues like assessing and mitigating rifshg in to risks. And those potential issues could be reported and fixed before they could be exploited. Todays forum is important in identifying where to do more. It would be nice if we could solve everything in the next three hours, i suspect this will be more of a start than a finish and we must get the job done and drive to maintain a testing and Certification Program to provide real value to the Community Without adding unnecessary burdens or costs. If there are avenues where we as an agency could do more programmatically we must consider suggestions. If legislative fixes are necessary, we should look at members of Congress Without delay. I look forward to todays conversation and would like to thank the witnesses for being here and engaging with us on this important issue. And also, before i turn it over, id like to thank the eac staff for pulling this Work Together. Thank you. Thank you, vice chair. Commissioner palmer, do you have an Opening Statement . Yes, thank you, chairman mccormick. Id like to thank our witnesses for participating in todays hearing, as well as those who are tuned in online for this important discussion. Todays forum has a chance to provide needed clarity where Election Security stands, ahead of the president ial 2020 election and how the eac can lead in the efforts to make our elections system and infrastructure strong and secure. In this new type of warfare, state and local Election Officials are on the front lines, on the war for democracy. I have full confidence that our Election Officials will zealously prepare and train for the 2020 election and in the end get the job done for the American People as they did in 2016 and 18. Because of the unique role that Congress Gave us, and the fact that we work closely with state and local Election Officials in a number of areas, the eac must take the leadership role. The question today is whether or not were adequately planning and establishing lines of communication to Election Officials with the necessary information to prevent and recover many attempted Ransomware Attacks and for a first strike on our democratic ideals. The 380 million appropriated by the congress is going a long way to assist in preparation and planning on fundamentals of elections. However, as Dwight Eisenhower said, ive found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable. As we look at this, im eager to hear from experts including the dynamic challenges faced by state level policy to implement and address the election system security. And the federal partnerships put in place after the 2016 election. Im looking forward to learning more about how election vendors and Technology Leaders are working to address end of Life Software used in election system. Your opinions about the value of establishing a coordinated vulnerability Exposure Program and input how the eac is testing a certification system and Voting Systems can provide more meaningful security testing. As a former state election official im very familiar with the challenges faced by the men and women across the nation and face difficult decisions that stem from limited resources and seemingly unlimited needs including those securing elections. My goal is to conclude this meeting with a better understanding of the Election Officials needs and suggestions how industry leaders, federal agencies, the congress and others can best support local efforts to secure elections. Faith in our nations elections systems is on the line. Protecting will take all of us working together and todays forum had the opportunity to do just that and demonstrate our commitment to our nations voters. Thank you for participating in todays forum and look forward to a robust conversation on these issues. As i travel across the nation to visit election offices, your presentations or attend conferences, Election Security is often the centerpiece of those conversations. After the 2016 election it was clear our nation need to look under the hood of the election systems through the process we identified a number of areas will need to do better. A lot of progress has been made. Including improvement of two medications between state and local election leaders and fellow partners who support their work. While todays forum will likely provide even more evidence of the progress weve made, its also a chance to collectively identify opportunities to further advance, to further advancement and cooperation including it would expand the market for election equipment and better track the supply chains. The challenges faced by Election Officials today are often tied to aging voting equipment or lack of resources. I suspect we will are some of reflected in todays testimony as well. The reality that eac fries to reflect its daytoday work including todays forum and all of our ongoing efforts. For example, im proud of the work we did last year after congress appropriated 380 380 million in muchneeded Financial Support to the states and territories. The eac quickly and responsibly got these vital resources out the door. Today we continue to write oversight and guidance for all the stones. Our most recent conversation with those who received these funds project 85 of the money is likely to be spent by the 2020 general election. With at least 90 going to replacing aging voting equipment or improving security and resiliency. We know more resources are always welcome at and my fellow commissioners and i have passed that a long with our interactions to members of congress. Todays forum is a perfect opportunity for us to examine ways all these entities in this room, lawmakers, federal agencies, election manufacturers and others can Work Together or can continually Work Together to improve security and strengthen voter confidence. Its also a chance for us to remember our efforts must not undermine access to the polls. As work to make election more secure continues, we must also safeguard the statutory right so that every eligible american can cast their vote independently and privately, regardless of ability. I look forward todays form and again thank our participants for being here in being a part of the work to help america vote in a way that a secure, accessible, and accurate. Thank you. Thank you, commissioner hicks. I would now like to invite our executive director brian newby to make remarks on the avenue of the eac staff. Director newby. Thank you. I was introducing the agent will have three panels representing three flights of testimony that was arranged as, first, secretaries of state, then the eac testing and certification director Jerome Lovato, Jared Dearing from kentucky and other stakeholders related certification and Software Changes including our federal partners dhs and nist results microsoft. The third panel represents many of the eac registered voting equipment manufacturers as well as the test labs. Geoffrey hale from dhs has been participating in another meeting this morning and will be arriving after that panel begins the second pivot if for some reason has difficulty getting in time for that panel we will move them to the third panel. One final, though about today, when Microsoft Windows seven was a top with the security discussion meeting and were very we are very pleased microsoft is here today, but todays meeting topic is much broader and today you will talk about risk, a word that is central to security audit wanted to note risk at a different level to do as well. All of you as commissioners have discussed security and segregation issues with Election Officials, vendors, congress and other stakeholders and by pausing to discuss these items today in an open meeting to engage in public dialogue with a clear end result is not yet known, is a risk. I hope all will see and appreciate the leadership role the commission is taking in this regard. Similarly, the election equipment vendors and microsoft have taken a risk to come in today to talk openly about the Security Issues the election industry shares. I know you as well as the eac staff appreciate their willingness to come in today to speak candidly on these issues. Beyond those who are speaking today we have received other common for the record from opensource Election Technology institute, easy though, center for democracy and technology, and dominion voting. Copies are available for the public and attendant and will be posted on our website. This form represents one of the broadest both meetings and Election Security ever help. The largest ever the eac with 13 individuals appearing today. With that background i hand things back to the chairwoman for introductions of our first panel. Thank you, director newby. Our first panel is right now we will start with secretary carter when. The honorable kyle are to win is louisiana 44th secretary of state, resident of baton rouge, secretary ardoin was elected on december 8, 2018. He brings a wealth of knowledge to the office having served as interim secretary of state from a intelligence election. First assistant secretary of state for eight years prior to that. Currently secretary ardoin surface treasurer of the National Association of secretaries of state, and on the election infrastructure subsector government courtney can counsel. His goals include securing new voting equipment for the state, protecting the security of sensitive voting data and continuing the agencies hightech protection for both the election and commercial divisions. Welcome, secretary ardoin. Ranking madam chair and mr. Vice chair and commissioners. Mr. Newby, staff. Is a pleasure to be here. Its place represent the great state of louisiana. Most important its so important to beer to discuss the important issues to securing our future elections. In november of 2015 microsoft announced they would no longer sell windows seven computers as of november 2016. On september 6, 2010, microsoft announced the into support for windows seven would be january 14 of 2020. In december 2018, i informed the governor of our state that windows seven opeRating Systems conflict with the states legacy election Voting Machines for both early voting and election day. It provided information for the resources that would be necessary to move louisiana forward in our election process. In the summer and fall of this year we are switching out 250 windows seven pcs and all registered voters offices with windows ten pcs, clerks of course devilry received windows ten virtual laptops used to conduct qualifying and result uploads to the state election Registration Information network. So how did this affect the state of louisiana . This has been a costly endeavor to replacing all seven all windows seven computer used in the register voters and clerks of course offices with windows ten virtual laptops throughout the state over the past two years has cost well over 250,000 here thank you. Currently the state is leasing Voting Machines with its current vendor into the request for proposal process is completed and awarded to a vendor due to the windows seven endoflife issue. The machines are the use of windows ten. This endeavor has cost us just the leasing of these in excess of 2 million. Weve been diligent in keeping the virus definition files updated for our systems all laptops are scanned regardless of whether or not they are connected to the internet prior to each election. We have sent strict directives to all registrars, clerks, warehouse employees and secretary of state Election Division staff stressing they are never to insert random memory sticks into these laptops or change their phones charge their phones or any other device. We also discussed this a great deal in training and with the support staff reminded of these entities regularly in person during the test and feel process of our voting equipment of how critical it is to follow the strict directives. In addition they are instructed to never insert a a memory stik issued by the secretary of state office into any other computer, regardless on the m