Michigan is getting its first-ever, full-time elections security specialist.
Ashiya Brown starts her new job today.
Brown is an audit and data-base management expert in the state Department of Health and Human Services.
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson explained that election security is a major issue for 2020 in the aftermath of a determination by U-S intelligence agencies that the Russian government had attempted to influence the 2016 presidential election.
State election officials say Brown’s technical background in managing, assessing and auditing large-scale computer-based systems will help keep the state well-positioned to anticipate and respond to any potential security threats.
Brown has a B.A. degree from Central Michigan and masters degree from the University of Phoenix.