Feds to test North Carolina election computers for hacking

RALEIGH, N.C. – More than two years after a 2016 Election Day technical failure, federal computer sleuths will scour North Carolina polling equipment supplied by a company targeted by Russian military intelligence.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it will analyze laptops and replicated computer hard drives used in heavily Democratic Durham County to rule out hacking for malfunctions that forced officials to issue paper ballots and extend voting hours.

DHS is acting after North Carolina elections officials last week renewed their long-dormant request.

State and local officials said previously that they found no indication the election software vendor VR Systems used for voter registration and check-in were targeted by hackers. But they never did forensic probes.

Russian agents targeted state and local elections officials using VR Systems products with malicious emails.