[LWVNM Action] Election Security $$ Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark Leads National Effort to Restore Federal Election Security Support

Wed Mar 12 11:25:08 MDT 2025

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From: Santa Fe County <Santa.Fe.Cty at public.govdelivery.com>
Date: Wed, Mar 12, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Subject: Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark Leads National Effort to
Restore Federal Election Security Support
To: <meredith.machen at gmail.com>

[image: Clerk and County GD Banner]
Press Release

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE March 12, 2025*
*Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark Leads National Effort to Restore
Federal Election Security Support*
[image: Clark Headshot]

*Washington, D.C.* – In response to recent federal cuts to election
security resources, Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark is leading the
way in advocating for the restoration of vital election security programs.
Clerk Clark successfully championed the passage of a resolution by the
National Association of Counties (NACo) Board of Directors, calling on
Congress and the Administration to reinstate funding and support for
essential programs, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security
Agency (CISA), the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC), and other key
initiatives.

*Challenges Facing Election Security*

Recent federal budget reductions and programmatic changes have created
significant challenges for local election officials, including:

   - *CISA Workforce Reductions:* Over 130 CISA employees were laid off,
   disrupting key cybersecurity functions and leaving local election offices
   without support.
   - *Paused Election Security Operations:* CISA has temporarily halted its
   election security activities, creating uncertainty for election officials
   nationwide.
   - *Disbanded DOJ Task Force:* The Department of Justice has discontinued
   a task force dedicated to addressing foreign election interference.

These developments have left local election officials without the essential
resources to ensure secure elections.

*Clerk Clark’s Call to Action*

Santa Fe County Clerk Katharine Clark emphasized the urgency of restoring
these critical programs:

“Local election officials are committed to ensuring elections remain free,
fair, and secure. However, recent federal cuts have made this work more
challenging. *Election security is not optional.* Congress must act quickly
to reinstate funding for CISA, EAC, and DOJ programs so that we can
continue protecting our democracy.”

*Key Recommendations in the NACo Resolution*

The resolution, led by Clerk Clark, urges Congress to take immediate action
by:

   - Fully funding CISA and EAC to provide essential resources, training,
   and technical support.
   - Ensuring that nonpartisan federal assistance remains voluntary and
   free of unnecessary regulatory burdens.
   - Reinstating DOJ programs to investigate election-related crimes and
   enforce election security laws.
   - Rebuilding collaboration between federal agencies and local election
   officials to strengthen election security and accessibility.

For more information, please visit *SantaFe.vote
<https://links-2.govdelivery.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.santafecountynm.gov%2Fclerk%2Felections/1/010101958b1ab816-172ff825-4191-45ab-8aeb-e4b8535c4113-000000/T7CXwVEeWEFVuc94-Jt1b57imbvlVIiXEPPmcZ7DykQ=396>*
or
contact Celeste Garcia, Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office Operations Manager,
at (505) 986-6289 or *ccgarcia at santafecountynm.gov
<ccgarcia at santafecountynm.gov>*.

###

For media inquiries, contact the Santa Fe County Clerk’s Office at
(505)986-6280, or email clerk at santafecountynm.gov.

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