DHS ties election security measures to FEMA grant funding

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DHS ties election security to FEMA grants

Highlights

DHS ties over $1 billion in Homeland Security Grant Program funding to new requirements, including states moving to hand-marked paper ballots and away from bar/QR code systems.
Grant recipients must perform manual audits of at least 5% of ballots, reconcile voter participation counts, and verify the citizenship status of voters and poll workers within 120 days.
FEMA withholds 20% of grant awards until proof of compliance is verified, placing operational and administrative pressure on states with incompatible existing systems.

Grant conditions for election security funding

As announced by Department of Homeland Security, FEMA this week publishes the funding opportunity for the Homeland Security Grant Program and makes more than $1 billion available to states, Tribal Nations, territorial and local governments.

Before receiving award funds, recipients must take several steps tied to election administration. States must submit a plan to move away from electronic voting systems that use bar codes and QR codes to count votes and instead use equipment that accepts hand-marked paper ballots, which DHS says creates a more reliable paper trail for verification and the detection of irregularities.

Recipients also must conduct a manual audit of at least 5% of ballots cast after each federal election, reconcile the number of participating voters with the number of ballots cast, and within 120 days of accepting a grant award use the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services SAVE system to verify the citizenship status of everyone listed in the state voter registration database. DHS also requires verification of the citizenship of anyone working at polling places or operating election systems, either through SAVE or another authorized government system.

FEMA withholds 20% of a recipient's total Homeland Security Grant Program award until proof of compliance is submitted and verified by the department. The agency says applicants should review the full notice of funding opportunity for details on the requirements and how to provide that proof.

Compliance pressure and implications for states

Homeland security grants remain voluntary, but jurisdictions seeking federal money must agree to the program's terms and conditions. DHS frames the new rules as a taxpayer accountability measure as well as a national security step tied to election integrity.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin says the administration is responding to threats including foreign interference, insider threats and cyberattacks. The new grant conditions place operational and administrative pressure on states and local election systems, particularly where existing equipment, audit practices or voter database procedures do not yet match the federal requirements.

Our earlier report on the shake-up at the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) explained how the administration removed or lost multiple commissioners just months before the U.S. midterm elections, intensifying scrutiny over federal influence on election administration. We noted that the departures raised concerns about the commission’s ability to oversee election-related funding and voting system standards amid a broader push for tighter voting rules, including proof-of-citizenship requirements.

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