Dear Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, Chairman Joyce, and Ranking Member Hoyer,

As organizations and election officials deeply committed to safeguarding and expanding voting access, we are writing to urge you to make available, through the budget and appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2025, $400 million of funding for election infrastructure. This appropriation is one of the most critical voting rights priorities for the 118th Congress. With changing laws in state legislatures across the country, including restrictions on nonprofit support for election administration and limitations on local tax revenue, elections offices are left with limited options to meet urgent gaps in equipment, personnel, and facilities.

We welcome Congress’ allocation of $55 million in the FY 2024 package, which will help to address the needs of voters across the nation. However, the challenges we face moving forward require a more substantial and sustained investment to ensure that all Americans can exercise their fundamental right to vote.

Election officials in every state encounter a multitude of challenges each electoral cycle, which demand substantial financial resources. These challenges encompass navigating a dynamic landscape of cybersecurity threats, modernizing voting equipment to eliminate technical issues and ensure accurate result tabulation, continuous improvements to voter registration systems for precise voter rolls, and comprehensive training and education for election staff, poll workers, and the public.

When election administration is not adequately resourced, the core functions of our elections and the democratic process are threatened, as is the ability of large numbers of voters to participate. Frontline election workers who keep our democracy running year in and year out are unable to serve their communities, and voters—especially voters of color and those in low-income communities—risk disenfranchisement. Inadequate funding of election offices can cause long lines, delays in processing voter registrations or mail ballots, and other problems that can become insurmountable for significant numbers of would-be voters.

A 2021 analysis by the Election Infrastructure Initiative found that election infrastructure needs at the local and state level over the next decade are a full $53 billion. Given the critical and substantial nature of these needs, we urge your support in including $400 million in the FY 2025 package, a strong start to addressing this overwhelming need.

In addition to the funding request above, we also urge you to include a requirement that a certain portion of future funding allocations be passed through directly to localities, where a good deal of election administration takes place, to ensure these frontline democracy workers have the resources they need to run safe, secure, and modern elections.

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. Federal funding for elections will bolster voter confidence, ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard, and safeguard the integrity of our electoral process—all essential ingredients in a healthy democracy.

Thank you for your dedication to our democracy. We appreciate your consideration of this crucial request.

Sincerely,

Patty Hansen

County Recorder
Coconino County, Arizona

Kristin B. Connelly

Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters
Contra Costa County, California

Tommy Gong

Deputy County Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters
Contra Costa County, California

Cathy Darling Allen

Retired Shasta County Clerk
Shasta County, California

R. Todd Davidson

Election Director
Denver, Colorado

Paul Lopez

Clerk and Recorder
City and County of Denver, Colorado

Amanda Gonzalez

Clerk and Recorder
Jefferson County, Colorado

Sara Mussen

Registrar of Voters
Colchester, Connecticut

Giselle Feliciano

Registrar of Voters
Hartford, Connecticut

Jillian Brimecombe

Deputy Registrar of Voters
Windsor, Connecticut

Omega R Finney

Henry County Board of Elections and Voter Registration - Board Member
Henry County, Georgia

Kecia Brown

Supervisor
Charlton, Georgia

Lisa M. Watson

Executive Director
City of Galesburg, Illinois

Anthony Vega

County Clerk
Lake County, Illinois

Bonnie Johnson

Information Security Officer
McHenry County, Illinois

Jessica Hockemeyer

Voter Registration/Election Supervisor
Whitley County, Indiana

Renee Roland

Deputy Auditor
Sac County, Iowa

John L. Myers, Jr.

Elected Town Clerk
Town of Buxton, Maine

Catherine Harder-Bernier

Town Clerk
Hanover, Massachusetts

Wendi Heyliger

Township Clerk
Buchanan Charter Township, Michigan

Kim Meltzer

Township Clerk
Clinton Township, Michigan

Joel Hondorp

City Clerk
Grand Rapids, Michigan

Dawn Sawicki-Franz

Clerk/Treasurer
Imlay City, Michigan

Chris Swope

City Clerk
Lansing City, Michigan

Brian Jackson

Chief Deputy City Clerk
Lansing City, Michigan

Lisa Brown

County Clerk/Register of Deeds
Oakland County, Michigan

Eileen Harryvan

Township Clerk
Township of Southfield, Michigan

Savannah Wendeln

Election Manager
Blaine County, Montana

Phil Hatcher

Ward Clerk
Dover, New Hampshire

Glen Mendez

Commissioner
Monmouth County, New Jersey

Katharine E. Clark

County Clerk
Santa Fe County, New Mexico

Judith L. Garrison

Election Commissioner
Delaware County, New York

Aaron Ockerman

Executive Director
Ohio Association of Election Officials

Maureen Dambra

Instructional Training Coordinator
Cuyahoga, Ohio

Pamela J. Kerrigan

Director
Shelby County, Ohio

Cheryl Seely

County Clerk
Crook County, Oregon

Bill Burgess

County Clerk
Marion County, Oregon

Tim Scott

Director of Elections
Multnomah County, Oregon

Lisa Gambee

County Clerk
Wasco County, Oregon

Christine Du Bois-Buxbaum

Precinct Judge of Elections
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania

Sandrea Speroni

Town Clerk
Town of Warren, Rhode Island

Chelsea Magwire

Assistant Town Clerk
Town of Berlin, Vermont

Lynn Parah

Town Clerk
Franklin County, Vermont

Karin S Mott

Town Clerk
Middlebury, Vermont

Elizabeth Karle

Treasurer
Mount Holly, Vermont

Tim Arsenault

Town Clerk
Town of Vernon, Vermont

Ginger Chiesa

Director of Elections & General Registrar
Buckingham County, Virginia

Susan Reed

Director of Elections
Manassas City, Virginia

Colleen Rummel

Absentee Mail Coordinator
Prince William County, Virginia

Sheilah Crider

Auditor
Island County, Washington

Regina McRay

Elections Manager
Kitsap, Washington

Kim Alexander

President
California Voter Foundation

Dominic Arellano

Election Administration Master Student
Detroit, Michigan

Jennifer Cohen

Temple Sinai
Montgomery County, Maryland

Lynn Davis

Community Organizer
Tucson/Pima County, Arizona

Paul Gronke

Director of Early Voting Information Center and Professor of Political Science
Reed College

Martha Kropf

Professor of Political Science and Interim Director of Public Policy
University of North Carolina

Carolyn Kubitschek

American Voter
Brooklyn, New York

Amber McReynolds

Former Election Official
Colorado

Anne Mendoza

Elections Expert
York, Pennsylvania

Brian Michelson

Rabbi
Berks County, Pennsylvania

Jackie Wu

Former Election Official
Orange County, California