Have there been attempts to interfere with SC’s election? Here’s what officials say
Days after federal law enforcement officials warned that Iranian and Russian actors were trying to influence voters in Florida, South Carolina election officials said they have not been informed about any specific attempts to interfere with the upcoming election in the Palmetto State.
Though they have been told that there are attempts from other countries to influence the election in general, elections officials are not aware of any efforts to target South Carolina’s elections, State Election Commission spokesman Chris Whitmire said.
Still, elections officials have taken steps to prevent hacking or any potential interference, Whitmire said.
“We operate under the assumption that there are bad actors out there that are trying to impact our election,” he said.
Gov. Henry McMaster’s office had not been briefed on any specific threats to the state’s voting system, his spokesman said.
Federal officials have already flagged several attempts at election interference coming from outside of the United States.
This week, Federal Bureau of Investigation officials accused Iranian intelligence officials of sending emails to Florida Democrats posing as the Proud Boys, a far-right organization that has been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center. The emails urged the voters to switch to the Republican party.
Russia has also obtained U.S. voter registration data and Russian hackers have also been targeting state and local governments, according to national security officials.
Whitmire also urged voters who may have experienced any kind of threat when it comes to voting to report it. Threats can be reported directly to the U.S. Department of Justice.
On Election Day, if voters experience intimidation or threats while trying to cast their vote, they should report directly to poll workers at their polling station or contact their local elections officials, Whitmire said.
He also advised voters to only believe information from trusted sources, and if something seems out of place, check with the state or local election commission. Whitmire stressed that voters should double check claims they see before sharing them or posting them on social media.
This story was originally published October 23, 2020 at 2:34 PM.
