In this episode, we look at the ways the Trump administration has systematically dismantled the bipartisan federal infrastructure that kept American elections safe from foreign interference and cyber intrusions. We speak to Geoff Hale, who led election security work at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and was pushed out from that critical mission early in the second Trump administration. But Geoff—and Tonya Wichman, Director of Elections in Defiance County, Ohio—both give us plenty of reasons to feel confident about our vote.
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Episode 102: The People Who Make Voting Safe | Show Notes
Geoff Hale is a Visiting Fellow for Election Security at the Center for Democracy & Technology (CDT), where he brings deep expertise in safeguarding election infrastructure against evolving digital threats. In this role, Geoff focuses on strengthening the integrity, resilience, and public trust of U.S. elections by advancing pragmatic, evidence-based, technically grounded solutions toward defending critical systems and infrastructure.
Prior to CDT, Geoff spent ten years at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), where he played a central role in the agency’s election security mission. Over the course of his tenure, he led strategic initiatives to grow cybersecurity capacity, build information sharing networks, and disrupt targeting of U.S. election systems and processes.
A practitioner deeply versed in the intersection of technology, national security, cybersecurity, and government, Geoff has contributed to policy design that bridges technical risk frameworks with real-world implementation. His work spanned analytic strategy, cross-agency coordination, and development of operational tools used by federal, state, and local partners to anticipate and mitigate emerging threats.
Geoff is an active contributor to the broader cybersecurity community, engaging in public discussions, workshops, and convenings on defending elections in the digital age. He holds relevant professional certifications and has pursued advanced study in risk management and systems analysis to inform robust, scalable solutions for complex security challenges.
You can find Geoff’s “Fractured Shield” publication here.
Tonya Wichman is an election administration leader with more than a decade of experience strengthening, modernizing, and securing elections in Defiance County. Wichman led major initiatives including implementation of new voting equipment, the transition to electronic poll books, and significant expansions in cyber and physical security.
She is especially proud of building a high-performing team of election specialists, voting location managers, and poll workers who consistently deliver smooth, trusted elections. Wichman is a certified Ohio Registered Elections Official and a Certified Election Registration Administrator, and holds a Master’s Certificate in High Performance Leadership. Her work includes serving on state and national committees, mentoring other counties, and contributing to innovation through the ASU AI and Democracy Lab and the Election Center board. Wichman is also deeply engaged in advocacy to protect election officials, strengthen legislative outreach, and secure sustainable election funding. Community connections are central to her work.
She enjoys partnering with local schools, nursing homes, and organizations to build civic understanding, and co-founded the Election Ambassadors Scholarship Program to support and inspire future leaders in Defiance County.
DISARMED is hosted by Nina Jankowicz and produced by Emily Malina. Our theme song is by Steve Lakawicz. Thanks our facility manager, production, and post production crew who dedicated their time and energy to this project, as well as the anonymous donor whose generosity took it to the next level. DISARMED wouldn’t have been possible without all of them!
