LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska legislator says the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has assured him that the department “has no intention now or in the future” to interfere with state elections.

Sen. John Murante of Gretna wrote to the federal agency in March, calling for officials to reverse an Obama-era decision that labeled election systems as “critical infrastructure.”

Murante said the designation raises the potential of federal intervention in state election systems that would violate state sovereignty and increase security risks.

The Homeland Security Department says it plans to keep the designation to provide state, local and tribal governments with priority assistance in managing election security risks.

The agency also says state participation is “entirely voluntary” and that the designation doesn’t allow federal officials to access state systems without legal agreements.