U.S. Spending Bill Provides $380 Million for Election Security Upgrades

On March 23, 2018, the President of the United States signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 into law. The new act includes $380 million in grants to enhance election technology and make certain security improvements, which will be made available to states through the Election Assistance Commission (EAC). This funding will provide states with additional resources to secure and improve their election systems.

Cybersecurity in elections has been a burning issue in the United States these last few months, stemming from concerns about the integrity of the country’s 2016 presidential elections. We at Agora were pleased to see Congress take concrete steps towards addressing the problem by providing funding for election cybersecurity. This funding supports the mission we share with the U.S. nation to move elections forward to the next generation of voting technology, and to protect elections from external influences. We believe the only people who should determine the outcome of an election are a nation’s voters themselves.

The $380 million now available to states will be allocated based on a voting age population formula. California and Texas, which will respectively receive $35M and $23M each, will represent the two largest recipients of this federal grant. Consistent with the requirements of the Help America Vote Act of 2002, states may use the funding to:

1. Implement a post-election audit system that provides a high-level of confidence in the accuracy of the final vote tally
2. Upgrade election-related computer systems to address cyber vulnerabilities identified through DHS or similar scans or assessments of existing election systems
3. Facilitate cybersecurity training for the state chief election official’s office and local election officials
4. Implement established cybersecurity best practices for election systems
5. Replace voting equipment that only records a voter’s intent electronically with equipment that utilizes a voter-verified paper record
6. Fund other activities that will improve the security of elections for federal office

Additionally, states are required to match 5% of the federal funds they receive within two years. In the FAQ on its website, the EAC expresses a commitment to making funds available as soon as feasibly possible. By releasing these funds quickly, it hopes the grants can have an immediate impact on the 2018 election cycle.

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