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Public commenter urges halt to 'cyber navigator' interns with access to election systems and recommends DHS SAFE verification
Summary
A member of the public told the State Board of Elections that college interns in a 'cyber navigator' program are accessing election infrastructure without background checks or citizenship requirements and asked the board to pause the program and adopt DHS SAFE batch verification for citizenship.
At the State Board of Elections July meeting, public commenter Anne Gregorian urged the board to reinstate public comment during agenda items and raised concerns about the department’s use of college interns in a "cyber navigator" program.
Gregorian said the interns "have not received a standard background check, hold no security clearance, and are not required to be U.S. citizens," and called that practice "alarming" for election-critical infrastructure. She urged the board to prohibit further participation in the program until a review of security issues is completed.
Gregorian also urged the board to use the Department of Homeland Security's SAFE program for batch verification of citizenship status and said the Department of Elections has statutory authority to promulgate rules to use SAFE — referencing a legislative mandate she cited as "SB 1077" (as read in the public comment). Her remarks included the claim that the practice violates a federal executive order; the transcript quotes her as saying this is "a direct violation of Presidential Executive Order 14,248 section 6 a." No staff response disputing the program's current practices appears in the meeting record.
The board took no immediate formal action in response to Gregorian's requests during the meeting. Staff later presented other agenda items (certifications and administrative rules) and the board approved those as presented.
What was said (excerpt): "It's alarming that [localities] are allowing election critical infrastructure to be assessed, accessed by individuals who have not received a standard background check... This is a direct violation of Presidential Executive Order 14,248 section 6 a," Gregorian said.
What to check next: Gregorian’s claims reference federal and state authorities and a specific program name; those citations should be verified against the relevant Executive Order text and the Department of Homeland Security SAFE program terms. The department’s background-check and contractor/volunteer screening policies should be reviewed to confirm who currently has access to election systems and what vetting they receive.
