New Report Finds That More Than $50 Billion is Needed to Modernize and Run State and Local Elections Infrastructure
New Report Finds That More Than $50 Billion is Needed to Modernize and Run State and Local Elections Infrastructure
Bipartisan Coalition Renews Calls for Federal Funding
CHICAGO -- State and local election departments need more than $53 billion to modernize and run our elections infrastructure, according to a new study released by the Elections Infrastructure Initiative.
The study, which is based on the needs over 10 years found $49.3 billion is needed for election administration and operations, $1.8 billion is needed to replace antiquated voting machines, $935 million is needed to update statewide voter registration systems, $256 million is required to bolster post-election audits and $999 million is required for cybersecurity improvements and maintenance.
“Our local election officials delivered a secure election in 2020 in part because they had additional philanthropic funding. The best long-term solution is not to hope for last-minute funding, but regular funding from Congress,” said Al Schmidt, Philadelphia City Commissioner. “Large urban cities have infrastructure needs that smaller jurisdictions simply do not. Regular, ongoing funding from Congress over 10 years can set all election departments large and small up for safe, secure and successful elections.”
“Michigan elections are uniquely decentralized and run by more than 1,500 Republican, Democrat and nonpartisan local clerks. These clerks largely rely on their own jurisdictional funding, but have vastly different resources available locally. Funding from Congress is critical to reduce disparities and provide more opportunities for clerks to run secure elections that provide equal access to all voters,” said Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
Read the full report here.
The Department of Homeland Security in 2017 officially designated election infrastructure as “part of the existing Government Facilities critical infrastructure sector.” DHS noted that election infrastructure “is vital to our national interests, and cyberattacks on this country are becoming more sophisticated, and bad cyber actors – ranging from nation-states, cybercriminals and hacktivists – are becoming more sophisticated and dangerous.”
Despite the designation from DHS, the federal government does not consistently fund election departments, making funding shortfalls a persistent problem for election administrators whether they are in red or blue states. Federal election infrastructure funding would bolster election security and resilience and improve voter confidence in our elections system.
A bipartisan coalition of state and local officials have asked Congress to fix the funding shortfall for state and local election departments. Their work includes:
14 Secretaries of State ask for funding for local election administration.
In addition, a bipartisan letter led by Mayor Tom Barrett (D-Milwaukee, WI) was signed by over 50 mayors across the country from cities such as Minneapolis, Baltimore, and Tucson.
A third letter, led by the Election Infrastructure Initiative, was signed by over 250 bipartisan local and state elected officials and election administrators from around the country.
The Election Infrastructure Initiative is a project of the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) and Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME).
The Center for Tech and Civic Life is a nonpartisan nonprofit harnessing the promise of technology to modernize the American voting experience. We connect Americans with the information they need to become and remain civically engaged, and ensure that our elections are more professional, inclusive, and secure.
The Center for Secure and Modern Elections is dedicated to advancing pro-voter policies at the state level that modernize the voting process and ensure that every American, whether they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent, can have their voice heard.
Dec. 14. 2021