Bipartisan Election Security Provision Co-authored by Senator Collins Signed into Law

Defense bill includes provision authored by Senator Collins to protect elections from cyberattacks.
WASHINGTON, D.C— Bipartisan legislation authored by U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Mark Warner (D-VA) to strengthen the security of U.S. election infrastructure was included in the Fiscal Year 2026National Defense Authorization Act(NDAA) and signed into law.
In May, Senator Collins joined Senator Warner in introducing theStrengthening Election Cybersecurity to Uphold Respect for Elections through Independent Testing (SECURE IT) Act.A provision of this legislation directing the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require that election systems seeking certification undergo penetration testing was included in the annual defense bill and is now law. This penetration testing will allow researchers to search for vulnerabilities by attempting to attack a system with the same tools and techniques used by cybercriminals, thus better protecting our election systems from legitimate attacks.
“We must take every precaution to prevent interference in our elections. This bipartisan legislation will strengthen the integrity of our election process by ensuring that voting systems are safe and secure, and help protect and bolster public confidence in our elections.”said Senator Collins.
Several other provisions and amendments authored or co-authored by Senator Collins were included in the final NDAA that passed the Senate last week:
The NDAA also includes several provisions Senator Collins strongly advocated for that will benefit Maine:
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