Connecticut Secretary of the State Denise Merrill says the state will receive about $5 million in federal funds to help protect the 2020 elections from cyberattacks.

According to a news report, Merrill says the money is Connecticut’s share of a $425 million federal fund approved by Congress to enhance the integrity of electoral systems all across the country. Merrill says it will be used for cybersecurity for Connecticut’s unique election system of 169 independent towns and give voters the confidence that their ballots are secure. In addition, Merrill says she’s grateful to the state’s congressional delegation and the U.S. House of Representatives for fighting to secure the federal funds. 

“Without that faith in elections, we will really have a problem in 2020. Because I don’t need to tell you people are already suspicious of everything. And so we want to make sure that we can do everything we can to make sure this is the smoothest election we’ve ever had,” Merrill says.