Dems Propose more than $1 Billion for Election Security

The Election Security Act would provide $1 billion for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to give to states to buy voting machines.

• By Sydny Shepard
• Feb 16, 2018

Congressional Democrats introduced legislation on Wednesday that would provide more than $1 billion to boost cybersecurity of U.S. voting systems, saying inaction has made elections more vulnerable to more interference from Russian hackers.

The bill follows warnings from U.S. intelligence officials that this year's midterm races could experience meddling from Russia and other foreign adversaries.

“We cannot let the Russians laugh about and take joy in the success they had in the last election,” Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House of Representatives, said at a news conference. “Their goal is to undermine democracy.”

Lawmakers introduced several bills, some with bipartisan support, to bolster election security since the 2016 election, though none have become law yet. The latest proposed bill, the Election Security Act, would provide $1 billion for the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to give to states to buy voting machines that incorporate backup paper ballots, hire security staff and conduct risk assessments.

The measure would create a $20 million grant program for states to perform post-election audits. States would also get $1 for each voter in the most recent election for security purposes.