Center for Digital Government names top state performers in 2026 survey

The Center for Digital Government released its 2026 Digital States Survey on Sept. 24, recognizing nearly half of U.S. states for top performance and showing that 80% of states are integrating AI. Cybersecurity remains the top IT priority as states face funding and workforce pressure while modernizing government services.

Why it matters: - The survey is a national benchmark for how states use technology to improve service delivery, efficiency and constituent engagement. - The results show how state governments are balancing modernization with tighter budgets, staffing constraints and rising security demands. - The findings point to AI and cybersecurity as the two biggest forces shaping state IT strategy going into 2027.

What happened: - The Center for Digital Government, a trusted brand of e.Republic, released the results of its 2026 Digital States Survey on Sept. 24. - The survey covers digital technology accomplishments across all 50 states over the last two years. - Nearly half of U.S. states earned top recognition in the 2026 survey. - Eleven states improved compared with 2024. - Iowa, Nevada, Florida and Idaho posted the largest gains. - The 2026 awards will be presented Sept. 27 at the National Association of State Chief Information Officers annual conference in San Diego. - The full 2026 Digital States Survey results are available here.

The details: - The survey evaluates how state governments use technology to improve constituent engagement, increase efficiency, streamline operations and deliver services. - CDG says the survey serves as a national benchmark that helps states measure progress, find improvement opportunities and guide future technology investments. - 2026 category winners include New York for Leadership, Georgia for Constituent Digital Experience, Florida for Continuous Innovation, Montana for Data Management and Use, Washington for Workforce Planning, Massachusetts for Artificial Intelligence, and Alabama for Enterprise Computing and Broadband Expansion. - Core business applications winners include Kentucky for Public Safety, Emergency Management, Criminal Justice and Corrections; New Jersey for Health and Human Services; and Maryland for Transportation and Motor Vehicles. - CDG said survey scoring reflects actions supporting state priorities and policies, operational and service improvements, hard- and soft-dollar savings, innovative technology adoption, collaboration and progress since the previous survey. - The survey’s corporate partners include Amazon Web Services, Armis/ServiceNow, Cisco, Fortinet, HP Inc., Red Hat, SAP, SHI Public Sector, Socure, Tanium, Tyler Technologies, UiPath, Verizon Enterprise Solutions, Wiz and Zscaler.

Between the lines: - Teri Takai, chief programs officer at CDG, said state technology leaders are turning complex challenges into opportunities to modernize government. - The survey shows the CIO role is expanding as leaders manage funding constraints, governance issues and agency alignment. - 95% of leaders reported navigating funding constraints. - 78% cited enterprise governance and agency alignment challenges. - AI is moving from pilot projects into core strategy and governance. - 80% of states reported AI integration across existing technology, data, security and policy leadership. - Nearly 80% are evaluating or piloting AI security platforms.

What's next: - State leaders will be watching the Sept. 27 awards presentation at NASCIO in San Diego. - The survey findings are likely to shape technology planning, budget priorities and AI governance discussions across state governments. - States that improved in 2026 have a clear benchmark for where to push next on digital service delivery and security.

The bottom line: - State governments are accelerating digital modernization, but the survey makes clear that cybersecurity, governance and AI readiness now define the pace of progress.