Montgomery County successfully defended against over 1 million election cyberattack attempts, writes Rachel Ravina for The Reporter.

Election Board Chairman Neil Makhija reported that approximately 600,000 of these intrusion attempts originated from Russia and Bulgaria. The county’s IT department’s security measures prevented any breaches.

“Thankfully, we have a firewall that is successful, and we have no reason to believe that the IT system was intruded upon,” Makhija, also vice chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, stated. The focus on cybersecurity follows reports of disinformation. A recent manipulated video in Bucks County falsely showed destroyed mail-in ballots, sewing distrust in U.S. election systems.

Bucks County officials condemned such disinformation efforts, emphasizing the intent to sow division among Americans. Federal intelligence assessments noted this behavior as part of a broader Russian strategy to challenge election integrity.

Montgomery County officials reassured voters that their systems remained secure, with an impressive 81 percent voter turnout reported.

Read more about Montgomery County’s efforts to thwart election cyberattacks in The Reporter.