Election Officials Use Role-Playing to Prepare for AI Threats in November

Election Day Chaos: Arizona’s Battle Against AI-Driven Misinformation

Unexpected Court Orders and Fake Communications

On the morning of Election Day in Arizona, a county election official receives a call from the secretary of state’s office. The message is clear: polling locations must stay open until 9 PM due to a new court order. The voice on the phone is familiar, adding a layer of reassurance. However, just hours later, an email arrives stating the previous message was fake. Now, polls must close immediately, and results should be submitted as soon as possible, contradicting the legal requirement to wait an hour after polls close or until all results are tabulated.

Preparing for 2024 Amid Heightened Scrutiny

This scenario is a glimpse into the confusion election officials anticipate in 2024. The upcoming presidential election is under intense public scrutiny, with a shrinking workforce facing deceptive communications, including AI-generated ones, and various threats. In early May, journalists participated in a role-playing exercise in Arizona to understand these challenges better. The event, focusing on AI threats in elections, was unusual and highlighted the proactive steps Arizona officials are taking months before the election.

Harassment and Legal Battles Post-2020 Election

The Fallout from 2020

During the 2020 election, Arizona turned blue, contributing to Joe Biden’s victory. Fox News predicted this outcome early, angering the Trump campaign. Trump and his supporters cited unsubstantiated voter fraud incidents and filed (then dropped) a lawsuit demanding ballot reviews. A Republican-commissioned audit later confirmed the original vote count’s accuracy. Recently, Rudy Giuliani was indicted for allegedly pressuring Arizona officials to alter the 2020 election results in Trump’s favor.

Ongoing Threats and Harassment

Election officials continue to face unprecedented harassment. In February, a California man was arrested for leaving a threatening message on an Arizona election official’s personal cell phone. The aftershocks of 2020 persist, and with the next presidential election approaching, Arizona officials are working to restore public confidence in the electoral process. Unfounded accusations of voter fraud or interference threaten democratic stability and the personal safety of officials targeted by conspiracy theories.

Educating the Public and Preparing for AI Threats

Role-Playing Exercise for Journalists

Journalists were invited to a role-playing event to educate the public about the threats election officials face and the extensive preparations underway. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes emphasized the unprecedented nature of these threats, particularly those posed by generative AI tools.

“We want to make sure in this that we have done everything that we can to make 2024 the best election that [it] possibly can be,” Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said at the start of the day’s events. “And we’re facing the kinds of threats that no one has ever seen before.”

Training Against AI-Driven Misinformation

The exercise was adapted from a program for actual Arizona election officials, who underwent similar training in December. Law enforcement is also expected to participate soon. The initiative, led by the Arizona secretary of state’s office, aims to expose officials to potential AI-related threats before the elections.

Susan Lapsley is the elections security advisor for the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency region that includes Arizona.

Photo by Ash Ponders for The Zero Byte

Fontes hopes to build a baseline wariness among election officials regarding AI threats, similar to the skepticism most people have towards emails from a “Nigerian prince.” Angie Cloutier, security operations manager at the secretary of state’s office, stated the goal is to “desensitize election officials to the newness and the weirdness” of AI technology.

Demonstrations and Simulations

AI-Generated Disinformation

Throughout the day, reporters watched presentations from AI experts showing how easily free online tools can create large-scale disinformation. One demonstration used a reporter’s LinkedIn profile to generate a personalized phishing email. Another used an image generator to place the reporter in a prison jumpsuit and attach the image to a fake article on a webpage mimicking The New York Times. A podcast recording was also used to clone the reporter’s voice.

Timed Exercises and Crisis Simulations

Reporters participated in timed exercises simulating the months leading up to Election Day in under an hour. They had to decide how to allocate a $30,000 budget on various fortifications, such as installing a firewall or providing active shooter training. As time passed, new crises emerged, including disinformation campaigns and sketchy messages asking for login credentials. The exercise aimed to simulate the stress and time constraints election officials face.

Organizers wanted to replicate the pressure election officials experience while managing a wide range of threats during an election.

“We prepare for the unexpected. And the way that we do that is by training ourselves to think in crisis mode,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of State C. Murphy Hebert.

### The Challenge of Election Security in the Age of AI

The Sisyphus Struggle

Election officials often feel like Sisyphus, eternally pushing a boulder uphill only to see it roll back down. “Every year, there’s another set of folks who just want to dismantle our democracy because they’re upset about political outcomes,” said Fontes in an interview with The Zero Byte.

Rapid Evolution of AI Tools

In just five months, new AI tools have emerged, requiring officials to quickly adapt. Fontes noted that while the technology evolves, the training helps election workers understand its trajectory. “When people look at it for the first time now, they’re like, ‘Wow, this is really scary.’ The folks that saw it in December are like, ‘Okay, this is a logical progression from what there was,'” he said. “Is it challenging to keep up with the changes in technology? Absolutely. But that’s part of the job.”

AI: A Double-Edged Sword

While preparing for AI threats, officials are also exploring how AI can make their work more efficient. Fontes sees AI as a tool that can be used for good or bad. “I think there’s enough good uses in AI, not just for people, but for the economy, that that needs to be developed,” he said.

Increasing Complexity and Dwindling Resources

As threats to the electoral process grow, the job of election officials becomes more complex. Michael Moore, the Chief Information Security Officer for the Arizona Secretary of State, said his role now encompasses a broader range of threats. “It used to be that a CISO was just focused on cybersecurity. But when I started [in] elections, that was not the case,” said Moore.

Michael Moore, the Chief Information Security Officer for the Arizona Secretary of State. Photo by Ash Ponders for The Zero Byte

Turnover and Harassment

Election officials are facing unprecedented scrutiny and harassment, leading to significant turnover. Giuliani was recently indicted for his alleged activities in Arizona, but the problem extends beyond Arizona. Two Georgia election workers were awarded $148 million in damages in a defamation suit against Rudy Giuliani.

High Turnover Rates

As of September 2023, Issue One reported that 12 out of 15 Arizona counties had new election officials since November 2020, covering 98 percent of the state population. This turnover results in a loss of institutional knowledge, crucial in a time-sensitive field like elections.

Building Trust in the System

Election officials are working to bolster trust in the system by educating the press about the checks and safeguards in their processes. They aim to make people vigilant but not mistrustful.

“Part of that sweet spot is getting people to be vigilant but not mistrustful,” says Fontes. “Vigilant in that they’re going to look out for the stuff that isn’t real, but not mistrustful so that they don’t lose confidence in everything, which is kind of counterproductive to what our mission is in the first place.”

Preparing for the Unknown

Officials are preparing for all scenarios as the 2024 elections approach. “What exactly is going to happen? We’re not sure,” Fontes said. “What are we best preparing for? Everything. Except Godzilla.”