Comprehensive Federal Assessment
A joint assessment by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security concluded there is no evidence that foreign interference efforts had any material impact on the infrastructure or systems used in the 2018 midterm elections. The classified report represents the first comprehensive federal evaluation of foreign threats to US electoral processes during the Trump administration.
No Material Infrastructure Impact
According to federal officials, while foreign actors did attempt to interfere with election systems, state and local authorities were able to prevent access or quickly mitigate these attempts. The assessment found that "there is no evidence to date that any foreign government-directed campaign had a material impact on election infrastructure or systems used to administer elections."
Enhanced Federal-State Coordination
The report highlighted improved coordination between federal intelligence agencies and state election officials. Congress had approved $380 million in 2018 to help safeguard voting systems, and federal officials worked closely with state and local governments that administer elections to strengthen defensive capabilities.
Intelligence Community Findings
While acknowledging that foreign countries, including Russia, Iran, and others, continued attempts to interfere in US elections, the intelligence assessment concluded that these efforts did not successfully compromise voting systems or alter vote tallies. The findings provide the first official government assessment of foreign interference attempts during the 2018 election cycle.