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DeSantis Orders Review Of State Election Systems, Calls It A "Top Priority"

Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a committee meeting
Andrew Harnik
/
AP

Gov. Ron DeSantis is ordering a review of the state’s election systems. This comes after two Florida county election offices were hacked.

DeSantis is directing Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee to “develop a plan and to identify and address any vulnerabilities,” according to a letter sent by the governor Tuesday.

DeSantis further instructed Lee to make the review a “top priority.”

He confirmed last week that at least two counties have been hacked. But he can’t say which two because he signed a non-disclosure agreement with the FBI.

The Washington Post reports Washington County is one of those hacked, and the other is in Central Florida.

The state Division of Elections, housed in the Department of State, is overseen by Lee.

Elections supervisors from Florida’s 67 counties are in Daytona Beach this week for their annual conference. 

Shawn Mulcahy is a reporter and All Things Considered host for WFSU. He graduated from Florida State University in 2019 with majors in public relations and political science. He was previously an intern at WFSU, and worked as an Account Coordinator at RB Oppenheim Associates.