Chris Anderson Ensures Seminole County Elections are Safe and Secure

Sanford, Fla. (May 15, 2019) – With the attention on Russian intrusion into voter data in two Florida counties, Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson wants to reassure Seminole County voters their data is safe and secure.

Prior to the 2016 election, several Florida counties received a spear phishing email that, when opened, allowed the sender access to voter data in those supervisor’s offices.

Seminole County did not receive that email and no intrusion occurred.

“We can say assuredly Seminole County voter data was not at any risk of being compromised by this email,” says Chris Anderson, Seminole County Supervisor of Elections. “We do not use the system targeted in the attack and did not receive the email.

“The security of our elections is of utmost importance to me and the team we have in Seminole County,” Anderson says. “We take pride in ensuring your choice counts and that includes safeguarding our systems.”

Already, Seminole County has had its elections systems and data storage reviewed by the Federal Bureau of Investigations. That review provided the reassurance Seminole County is secure.

However, as security threats change, Anderson wants to take every step to ensure the systems are safe leading up to the 2020 election.

As such, he has applied for a second review by the Department of Homeland Security’s cyber-attack division.

“As a former law enforcement officer, I recognize that criminals attempt to be ahead of any sort of defensive measures implemented to stop them,” Anderson says. “That won’t happen on my watch. We’re taking every step necessary to prevent any criminal activity from happening in Seminole County.”

For more information, please contact Alan Byrd, 407-415-8470 or [email protected]

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About Chris Anderson, Supervisor of Elections : Chris Anderson was appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis in January 2019. In this role, Anderson oversees all elections in Seminole County and all voter registrations. Currently, there are more than 300,000 registered voters in Seminole County. Prior to serving in this role, Anderson worked as Chief Investigative Officer for the Seminole County Tax Collector and as a deputy sheriff for the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. For more information, please visit VoteSeminole.org .

Read the full statement (PDF)