On Thursday night, July 17th, 2026, President Trump gave a speech at the White House focusing on election security. CBS News Confirmed, with verification producer Layla Ferris, fact-checked the claims made during the address.

Trump alleged that China had accessed U.S. voter data and accused a "deep state" within the U.S. intelligence community of attempting to suppress and downplay these actions. CBS News noted that while some voter registration information is publicly available and has been obtained by cyber actors in recent years, this acquisition did not affect the voting process or election outcomes.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) stated there was "no evidence of any malicious activity" impacting the integrity of the 2024 elections. However, a 2022 CISA review of Dominion Voting Systems identified vulnerabilities that could potentially be exploited under very specific conditions. Additionally, a 2023 Brennan Center report highlighted physical vulnerabilities at election sites and documented calls from state and local officials for increased funding to improve physical security.

Regarding absentee ballots, the National Conference of State Legislatures confirmed that 10 states count absentee ballots cast by voters who died before Election Day. Connecticut counts such ballots if the deceased voter was a member of the armed services.

CBS News also reported that Trump raised doubts about Dominion Voting Systems, noting that the company producing a Venezuelan voting machine is not involved in U.S. voting machines except in Los Angeles County.

The fact-checking effort underscores ongoing debates about election security, with official agencies affirming the security of election infrastructure despite acknowledged vulnerabilities and calls for enhanced protections.

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