2016 "fundamentally changed the way we handle elections (in Iowa)"

Iowa's Deputy Commissioner of Elections, Ken Kline, wants to make sure the public realizes that the State of Iowa's voter information was NOT hacked in 2016.  Kline told a meeting in Decorah Tuesday that a Russian cyberattack was turned away, but says the attack was not directly on voter records.

Kline told a group of 15 Winneshiek County residents the state "builds layers of security" to make sure voter records are protected.  That involves using several techniques to thwart hackers.

For instance, voter rolls are located off-site from the State Capitol and have "very secure" software protection, Kline says.  Homeland Security conducts regular check-ups of every state's security systems, says Kline.  In March the federal government required a new system which requires states to use "grid cards" as another layer of security protection.

Finally, the Secretary of State's Office conducts regular training--not just for its own staff, but for County Auditor staffs throughout Iowa.