A group of Democratic and Independent U.S. senators recently urged the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to increase funding for election security grants and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC).
The EAC is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring accessible, secure, and accurate elections. The organization has assisted state and local election officials with help offered on setting voting standards, certifying voting equipment, and administering the Election Administration and Voting Survey (EAVS).
“Today, more than at any other time in our nation’s history, election officials face unique challenges that require federal support,” the senators wrote to the appropriations committees. “As we approach the 2020 elections, we must ensure that they have the resources they need to combat foreign interference and ensure that every American has easy access to the ballot box.”
The letter was signed by Sens. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee, along with 37 of their colleagues.
“It is vital to ensure that the EAC, the only federal agency charged with improving federal elections, has the funding it needs to be successful. The FY20 budget in the Senate for the EAC is $11,995,000, while the House appropriated $16,171,000. This is a difference of $4,426,000 and all EAC Commissioners, including the Republican Commissioners, have said that the agency cannot continue to properly function on the Senate funding levels. As you finalize appropriations for FY2020, we urge you to fund the EAC at the House level and ensure that there are strong strings attached to the election security grants,” the letter continues.