White House delays report on US voting machine vulnerabilities due to approaching midterms: Report

White House officials have delayed the release of a US intelligence report that identifies vulnerabilities in the country’s voting machines ahead of the November midterm elections, according to Reuters sources familiar with the matter.The report, prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), outlines security weaknesses in voting systems and recommends measures such as software updates to strengthen protections. The sources said the report does not claim that votes were altered or that election outcomes were affected.According to the sources, some White House officials argued that publishing the report could undermine voter confidence, while others felt it did not provide evidence to support President Donald Trump’s claims that the 2020 election was rigged.Outgoing Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard had launched a review of voting machines as part of a broader administration effort to examine election security. She is being succeeded on an interim basis by Bill Pulte, who has been briefed on the report, sources said.The report is part of a wider administration push following Trump’s 2025 executive order aimed at increasing federal oversight of elections. Under the US Constitution, however, states retain primary authority over election administration.The Reuters sources said the report highlights issues including outdated software and internet-connected systems that could be vulnerable to cyberattacks. They added that they were unaware of any evidence that voting machines had been used to manipulate election results.A separate government-commissioned report examining voting machines seized from Puerto Rico also remains unpublished. According to sources, that report found no evidence that the machines had been hacked, though it recommended software upgrades to address identified vulnerabilities.Responding to questions about the delay, White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said the administration “continues to offer assistance to state and local election officials, including through the FBI and CISA, to ensure the security and integrity of all machines used in American elections.”ODNI spokesperson Olivia Coleman said Gabbard had taken “actions within her authorities” to “support the President’s directive to secure our elections, which includes identifying vulnerabilities in our critical infrastructure.”