Iranian hackers breached Alaska’s voter registration system in 2020, exposing glaring weaknesses in America’s election infrastructure. The intrusion, part of a broader attack on multiple states, raises urgent questions about the Department of Justice’s inaction, as Just the News reports. Why hasn’t the DOJ tackled these vulnerabilities head-on?
Those involved in the breach targeted voter registration systems in at least 11 states, with Alaska’s system confirmed compromised, leaking personal data of 113,000 voters. This breach, alongside a surge in overseas ballot applications, underscores a failure to secure elections against foreign interference. The Election Research Institute’s report slams the DOJ for ignoring these red flags.
In September 2020, the FBI and CISA warned of a “potential threat” from foreign actors spreading disinformation about election cyberattacks. Yet, the agencies downplayed the impact, claiming no election results were affected. Such assurances ring hollow when hackers accessed sensitive voter data with ease.
Between Sept. 29 and Oct. 17, 2020, an Iranian hacker exploited websites to steal voter registration data, succeeding in at least one state. This wasn’t just a data grab -- hackers used the information to craft Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots and Federal Post Card Applications. The audacity of forging ballots exposes a system ripe for manipulation.
By mid-October 2020, the same hackers sent voter intimidation emails and spread election-related disinformation, posing as “Proud Boys volunteers.” They targeted Republican senators, Trump campaign associates, and the media with claims of Democratic plots to exploit voter registration flaws. This brazen deception shows foreign actors weaponizing stolen data to sow chaos.
On Oct. 27, 2020, Alaska officials discovered the breach in their Online Voter Registration System, managed by an outside vendor. Personal details like birth dates and license numbers were exposed, affecting roughly 113,000 voters. While officials claimed ballot tabulation systems remained secure, the damage was already done.
Alaska Lt. Gov. Kevin Meyer’s office confirmed the breach on Dec. 3, 2020, insisting the voter database was secure. Yet, the exposure of sensitive voter information suggests otherwise. Relying on third-party vendors for critical election systems invites disaster.
The Election Research Institute’s report highlights a 41% spike in Federal Write-In Absentee Ballots nationwide in 2020 compared to 2016, despite fewer Americans abroad due to the pandemic. Alaska alone saw a 60% increase in overseas ballots, with 16,466 delivered online. These surges went uninvestigated, leaving vulnerabilities unaddressed.
Hackers demonstrated how stolen data could be used to forge ballots for overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. Their video showed valid voter information plugged into ballot applications, though no evidence confirms submission. The mere ability to create such forgeries is a wake-up call.
In November 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged two Iranian hackers, Seyyed Mohammad Hosein Musa Kazemi and Sajjad Kashian, for their roles in the scheme. They accessed confidential voter data and spread disinformation to undermine trust in the election. Yet, the DOJ’s response feels like a slap on the wrist.
“Foreign actors and cyber criminals,” as the FBI and CISA called them, exploited a system the agencies claimed was secure. Their assertion that cyberattacks didn’t “impact the voting process” ignores the chilling effect of voter intimidation and disinformation. Brushing this off as mere propaganda is reckless.
The Election Research Institute demands an FBI probe into overseas voting vulnerabilities, noting that absentee ballot requests rely on easily compromised data like driver’s license numbers. If hackers can match this data, fraudulent ballots could slip through. The DOJ’s failure to enforce voter verification rules is inexcusable.
“This is a very serious indictment,” said Cleta Mitchell of the Election Integrity Network, blasting the FBI’s dismissal of the breach as propaganda. She argues the agency ignored “very real vulnerabilities” exposed by Iran’s actions. Her point hits hard: why is the FBI so quick to downplay foreign interference?
Mitchell also calls for Sen. Chuck Grassley and new FBI leadership to investigate these 2020 election failures. “The FBI repeatedly ignored serious threats,” she told Just the News, demanding answers on how to prevent future manipulations. Her push for accountability resonates with those wary of bureaucratic complacency.
The UOCAVA system, meant to serve military and overseas voters, is “utterly broken,” Mitchell warns, vulnerable to exploitation by adversaries. With 70.7% of 2020 overseas ballots cast by non-military voters, the system’s flaws are glaring. Congress and the DOJ must act before foreign actors strike again.
