With the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations process underway, more than 165 local election officials and associations from 40 states are calling on Congress to provide $400 million in election security funding they say is necessary to protect the integrity of the voting process.
In a joint letter sent to leaders on the House and Senate Appropriations committees last week, the election officials noted that Congress has recently provided “inconsistent and insufficient funding” for election infrastructure. In the past two fiscal years, Congress provided just $70 million in support for election infrastructure.
“While that funding has been welcome, it falls far short of the substantial and sustained investment necessary to ensure that all eligible Americans can exercise their fundamental right to vote,” the officials wrote.
The officials are requesting the $400 million under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). HAVA funding can be used to purchase updated voting equipment and make certain cybersecurity improvements.
In a press release, they explained that the request would restore funding to levels seen during the first Trump administration, “enabling states to modernize equipment, bolster cybersecurity, train workers, and address emerging threats.”
While this amount would be a “strong start” to addressing election security threats, the officials pointed out that a 2021 analysis by the Election Infrastructure Initiative found that it will cost $53 billion over 10 years to fully modernize U.S. election infrastructure.
“We understand that federal resources are limited and face competing demands, but funding our election infrastructure is an investment in every facet of our lives,” they wrote. “Federal funding for elections will bolster voter confidence, ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard, and safeguard the integrity of our electoral process.”
The election officials also asked Congress to adjust HAVA requirements to ensure more funding reaches local jurisdictions, which often have smaller budgets to fund election security improvements.
“In addition to the funding request above, we also urge you to include a requirement that two-thirds of future funding allocations be passed through directly to localities, to ensure that counties and municipalities have the resources they need to run safe and secure elections, regardless of their size and population,” they wrote.
One elected official in Kansas noted, “Without federal support, the financial burden of updating voting equipment and securing our elections would fall heavily on our local taxpayers. As a small county, investments from the federal government aren’t just helpful, they’re essential.”
The letter comes after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March that seeks to prioritize HAVA funding based on compliance with new guidelines to be developed by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission.
“Non-compliant states may face prioritized Federal enforcement of election integrity laws and loss of funding given their unwillingness to police fraud,” a White House fact sheet on the EO says, adding, “Federal election funding will be conditioned on compliance.”