WASHINGTON — The White House has delayed the release of a federal intelligence report detailing vulnerabilities in U.S. voting machines as the country approaches November’s midterm elections, according to sources familiar with internal administration discussions and officials involved in the review process.
The report, prepared by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), examines security weaknesses in election equipment used across the United States and recommends measures such as software updates to improve protections, according to three sources cited by Reuters. The assessment does not conclude that voting machines have been used to alter election results or that votes were improperly changed.
According to the sources, White House officials have been debating for months whether to authorize publication of the report. Some officials reportedly argued that releasing the findings before the midterms could undermine public confidence in elections, while others contended that the report did not substantiate long-standing claims by President Donald Trump and his allies regarding fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
The review was launched under former Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who stepped down this month. Federal housing regulator Bill Pulte has assumed the role on an interim basis and has been briefed on the report, according to sources familiar with the matter. Details of whether the report will be released under his leadership remain unclear.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement that 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 the agency had taken actions within its authority to support election security efforts.
The report is part of a broader administration review of election systems. A separate study commissioned from Mojave Research also examined voting equipment and identified software-related vulnerabilities, according to sources. However, that review likewise found no evidence that machines had been hacked or that election outcomes had been altered. Neither report has been publicly released.
Election security experts have long noted that some voting systems rely on outdated software or contain features that could present cybersecurity risks if not properly managed. Federal agencies, including the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, have repeatedly stated that they found no evidence of foreign interference affecting vote tabulation in the 2020 election.
As of June 25, the White House had not authorized publication of the ODNI report, and officials had not announced a timetable for its release. Sources familiar with the matter said discussions over the report’s future remained ongoing as preparations for the November midterm elections continue.
