US polling stations may be designated ‘strategic assets’ to block cyberattacks

The head of the US Department of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, has warned of a possible cyberattack on polling stations in November's presidential election and said he is considering designating the country's electronic voting system as a "strategic asset" similar to power stations and nuclear facilities. In a video conference call earlier this week with those responsible for the voting in all 50 states, he said there is concern of a cyberattack on voting machines or on the systems for transferring the voting results or for calculating the national vote. Johnson also offered technological assistance, inspections to secure voting systems, and advance warning of any intention by individuals or organizations to carry out a cyberattack.  
All US polling stations are electronic under a 2002 law although each of the 50 states has chosen its own electronic voting system. The recent hacking of the e-mail server of Democratic National Committee has increased concerns that a cyberattack could affect the result of the election. Only 75 percent of US polling stations keep a paper copy of every vote, and only half of the states carry out a statistical survey to ensure that the results are authentic.