The ability to administer efficient elections with proper infrastructure is a pillar of the American democratic system. Voters across the country line up at their polling places each cycle with confidence that their experience will be smooth and simple. And it is the hard work of election officials that keep our system running as it should.

Behind the scenes, these individuals are conducting all the administration needed to make our elections easy and effective, from stocking up on supplies to moving voting machines to counting ballots, the work done by our election administrators should be celebrated and acknowledged by every voter.

Unfortunately, far too often the work these folks are doing not only goes unrecognized, but they are also staffing elections without proper resources in place. In counties in Mississippi and across the country, election offices are up against insufficient funding that means they are rationing resources and even lacking the proper staff to run elections as efficiently as possible.

With help from Congress, we can rectify these issues. In the budget for fiscal year 2023, there is an allocation of $400 million dollars that is exclusively for election infrastructure updates and support. Spread across cities, states and counties, these funds would go a long way in solving the problems our election workers are facing today.

It should be a priority of Congress to promote efficient and well-run elections and properly investing in the offices and workers that make that priority are commonsense choices in taking action to meet that goal. The money has already been set aside, now all our representatives need to do is see it through to the finish line. I hope that Mississippi’s elected officials in Washington will stand with election administrators and put their support behind this funding to ensure proper updates and investments are made to our election infrastructure.

Mayor Robyn Tannehill, Mississippi

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