With House GOP Slashing Funds for Election Security, Senate FSGG Subcommittee Must Fully Fund State and Local Election Offices

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
JULY 12, 2023

PRESS CONTACT:
Sarah Harris, [email protected]

Election Infrastructure Initiative urges senators to allocate $400 million to secure our elections and ensure every vote is counted

WASHINGTON – The Election Infrastructure Initiative released the following statement ahead of the Senate Appropriations vote on Thursday on Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee’s election funding after House Republicans slashed election security funding to $0 last month.

“Local election administrators are grappling with immense challenges to hold safe, secure, and modern elections. They have repeatedly sounded the alarm about the dire state of our election infrastructure—from outdated voting machines and glitchy ballot tabulation machines to a lack of security for mounting threats against poll workers—and remain steadfast in their call for $400 million in critical investments for fiscal year 2024.

“President Biden called on Congress to provide at least $5 billion over 10 years in election administration funding. Failing to do so will put voter confidence in our elections at risk, while leaving poll workers and election volunteers vulnerable to threats and intimidation. $400 million is the bare minimum.

“Instead, House Republicans zeroed out election infrastructure funding against the wishes of elections administrators on both sides of the aisle. The health of our elections now hinges on the Senate’s leadership to make long overdue investments in election infrastructure, ensuring safe, secure, and modern elections for all Americans. We urge senators to do what is needed to secure our elections and ensure every vote is counted.” 

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The Election Infrastructure Initiative is a collaborative effort, bringing together election officials, nonprofits, counties, cities, and states who believe that election infrastructure is some of our nation’s most critical and should be funded appropriately. Our goal is to secure robust and reliable federal funding to support local elections offices in running secure, modern, and accessible elections in every jurisdiction in the country.

Coalition members supporting this statement include: 

Stand Up America
Advancement Project
America Votes
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
Center for Popular Democracy
Center for Secure and Modern Elections
The Center for Tech and Civic Life
Clean Water Action
Clean Elections Texas
Common Cause
DemCast USA
Democracy is Good for Business
Democracy Maine
Equal Ground Action Fund
End Citizens United//Let America Vote Action Fund
The Elections Infrastructure Initiative
Fair Elections Center
FairVote Action
Get Money Out – Maryland
Greenpeace USA
Institute for Responsive Government
League of Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of the United States
Maine Conservation Voters
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities (NACDD)
National Council of Jewish Women
Our Vote Texas
The Partnership for Large Election Jurisdictions (PLEJ)
People Power United
Secure Elections Network
Service Employees International Union (SEIU)
Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund
State Democracy Defenders
State Voices
Verified Voting

Kim Alexander, President, California Voter Foundation
Cathy Darling Allen, Clerk and Registrar of Voters, Shasta County, CA
Jen Bloom, Deputy Commissioner, Ulster County Board of Elections, NY
Bridgette Bowdler, Deputy Clerk, River Rouge, MI
Cynthia A. Bower, City Clerk, Taylor, MI
Bill Burgess, Marion County Clerk, Salem, OR 
Brenda F. Cabrera, Director of Elections, Fairfax, VA
Katharine Clark, County Clerk, Santa Fe, NM
Kristin B. Connelly, Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters, Contra Costa County, CA
Ellen L. Craig-Bragg, Romulus City Clerk, MI
Sara Doty, Auditor & Commissioner of Elections, Des Moines County, IA
Sara El-Rifaai, Deputy Clerk, City of Taylor, MI
Tommy Gong, Chief Deputy Clerk-Recorder, Contra Costa County, CA
Mary Hall, Auditor, Thurston County, WA
Eileen Harryvan, Township Clerk, Southfield Township, MI
Halley Hilton, Deputy City Clerk, City of Farmington, MI
Victoria L. Houser, Battle Creek City Clerk, MI 
Dana Hughes, Village Clerk, Franklin Village, MI
Beth Lekity, Deputy City Clerk, City of Wyandotte, MI
Chris Swope, Clerk, Lansing City, MI
Candace Teague, Bureau of Elections Administrator, Valencia County, NM
Ashley Torres, Commissioner, Ulster County Board of Elections, NY
Anthony Vega, County Clerk, Lake County, IL
Lisa A. Weber, Clerk, Stafford County, KS
Stephanie Wenholz, Elections Manager, Grand Junction, CO

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