Debert Hosemann, Secretary of State, said that this is not uncommon. Although such hacking attempts continue, Hosemann said that hackers increased in number by around 1,000 per month during the 2016 election. He stated that hackers are trying to gain access to information in Mississippi’s state Elections Management System from all parts of the globe. Hosemann stated that they only need to succeed once. Hosemann stated, “They only have to succeed once.” Hosemann added that hackers are more likely to attempt to hack the system to gain personal information such as the last four digits from the Social Security numbers of Mississippi’s registered voter, Hosemann explained. This is not intended to alter election results. It is not possible to hack into the voting machines online. Therefore, it would take someone to steal the machine in order for results to be altered. Each county in the state is responsible for determining and counting its own election results. Gwen Wilks (Forrest County Circuit Clerk) explained that no one can access the system online. Within 10 days after the election, the certified results of each county are sent to Secretary of State. Hosemann stated that it would also be difficult to hack into state systems and alter voter lists. Because the voter registration information is continuously changing, it is available online. The counties will be able to apply for $4.5 million in federal funds over the next few months to buy new voting machines and make other improvements to their electoral systems. Based on the number registered voters in the county, the Secretary of State’s Office will award the grants. The Legislature gave the Secretary of State authority to use $224,000 of existing funds to draw down federal funds. The office will use the matching funds as well as a small amount federal funds to upgrade its cybersecurity. The office of the Secretary of State hopes to give all grants to counties this summer.