Cookeville Hosting Election Seminar Friday

Cookeville will host on Friday the winter seminar for the Tennessee Association of County Election Officials (TACEO).

Phil Adams is the Chairman of the Putnam County Election Commission and Vice President of TACEO. He said the daylong event will include a cybersecurity discussion led by TBI Special Agent Cesar Salazar.

“There’s a lot of cybersecurity stuff going on. A lot of what’s happening now is not as much the tampering with elections, but you can tamper with results and make it appear as though things have gone a different way,” Adams said. “and then people begin to question the election. Even though we’ve not tampered with the vote, somebody posts early that so-and-so has won, and he doesn’t win. Things like that.”

Adams said Tennessee Coordinator of Elections Mark Goins will also update attendees about elections-related legislation.

“Most of these speakers are pretty amazing guys to speak with,” Adams said. “But Mark is a really excellent person to talk to. He’s got the pulse of what’s going on with elections at any time in the State of Tennessee.”

A number of other speakers will discuss phishing and social engineering, redistricting, and changing how to view cybersecurity. The seminar takes place from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. at the Emergency Services Building.