What's Going to Stop Russia Next Time?

Emefa Agawu wrote for CNN about four steps the United States can take to prepare for the 2018 elections.

So Russia hacked us. What's next?

Russian hackers targeted voting systems in 39 states in the summer and fall of 2016, according to Bloomberg. This comes on the heels of a leaked National Security Agency document revealing details of a Russian hacking operation against US election systems -- news which was quickly eclipsed by the highly anticipated testimony of fired FBI Director James Comey and the UK election. But the Russian activity should have served as a loud wake-up call to anyone concerned about US election security. With the 2018 elections just around the corner, we can't afford for these urgent lessons to be lost in the din of this news cycle.

Remember, elections in the US are quirky and decentralized. With more than 9,000 voting jurisdictions and a patchwork of authority and procedures, the people who end up having the most control over election security are state and local officials.