US cyber agency's future role in elections remains murky under the Trump administration

The nation’s cybersecurity agency has played a critical role in helping states shore up the defenses of their voting systems, but its election mission appears uncertain amid sustained criticism from Republicans and key figures in the Trump administration. President Donald Trump has yet to name anyone to lead the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security. And for the first time since it was formed, there are no plans for anyone in its leadership to address the annual gathering of the nation’s secretaries of state, which begins Thursday in Washington. Trump’s allies remain angry over its efforts to counter misinformation about the 2020 presidential election and the COVID-19 pandemic.