State and local election officials are heading into Tuesday's midterm vote with weaker lines of communication to federal security agencies than at any point since 2016. Experts who work with both parties say US intelligence still sees familiar influence campaigns from Russia, China and Iran, yet far less of that information is reaching the people who run the polls.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency played a leading role guarding past elections, including warning officials about foreign influence efforts in 2020. Deep cuts at the agency over the past year hollowed out that work. A rushed effort in recent weeks to set up a new online system for sharing threat information has drawn little trust from local officials.

A classified briefing for election administrators in mid-October, the first since the 2024 cycle, was derailed when federal staff could not get the video call to connect. It was later rescheduled and went ahead without problems.

Trust has broken down

Ryan Macias, a former consultant to the agency, said many officials no longer know whom to call when a cyber or physical incident happens. David Becker, who leads an election research nonprofit, said he could not name a single official from either party who is actively passing cybersecurity information to Washington this year. He called that a sharp break from the last four federal elections.

Officials say part of the strain comes from the administration's push on unproven fraud claims and its readiness to step into state-run elections. Many counties have spent months working with lawyers to map out how far federal power reaches in case of interference from Washington.

The agency said it has launched an information-sharing tool and grants access every day to approved state and local partners who request it. It said it still offers free scanning, technical advice and other support on request. It did not say how many election offices have signed on.

Fatigue is a risk too

Jennifer Morrell, a former election official in Colorado and Utah who now trains administrators, warned that exhausted workers are more likely to make mistakes or click on phishing emails. The head of the company formerly known as Dominion, which now runs as Liberty Vote and serves 26 states, called the lack of federal cyber support disappointing.

Some offices say little has changed for them. New Mexico's secretary of state said its approach to blocking foreign interference remains the same as in past cycles.