Report: Hackers stole voter information, tried to change data during 2016 election

Hackers who may or may not have been connected to Russia were reportedly able to steal private voter information held at the state and local level during the 2016 election.

TIME broke this news, citing inside sources, in a report which also revealed that "investigators found there had been a manipulation of voter data in a county database but the alterations were discovered and rectified."

This information comes on the heels of a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Wednesday where Homeland Security official Samuel Liles testified that election systems in 21 states were targeted by Russian government associates.

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While Liles seemed to indicate that these actions had a minimal effect on the election process, the Washington Post points out that his testimony means the scope of Russia meddling was much wider than expected.

U.S. officials involved in the Russia investigation had previously confirmed that voter registration databases in Illinois and Arizona were "compromised," notes Morning Consult.

As a result, senior Senate Intelligence Committee member Mark Warner of Virginia asked Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in a letter to share his department's findings with election officials.

SEE ALSO: Russian hackers targeted 21 US state systems during 2016 election: US official

Sen. Warner also noted that while the 2016 election results are not in question, he warned that the 2018 election could be vulnerable to additional hacks, reports The Hill.

According to TIME Congressional investigators are digging into whether any of this stolen information made its way to the Trump campaign.

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