Rapid and responsible distribution of funds ensures states can have access to funds ahead of the 2018 Federal Election
Silver Spring, Md. - The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today announced that 26 states have requested $209,638,865 in newly available funds to improve the administration of elections for Federal office, 55 percent of the total amount available. The announcement comes less than three months after Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 that allocated $380 million for Help American Vote Act (HAVA) funds. The Commission’s rapid and responsible distribution of funds ensures that states have access to the much-needed funding ahead of the 2018 Federal Election.
“This steady stream of funding requests from the states demonstrates an undeniable recognition that this money can have a tangible and immediate impact on the efficiency, security and accessibility of our nation’s elections systems. The Commission has diligently worked with states to distribute these new funds as quickly as possible. It is anticipated that all jurisdictions will submit funding requests by mid-July,” said EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks.
The $380 million funding marked the first new appropriations for HAVA funds since FY2010. To date, the following states have requested their portion of the funds, which was determined using a voting age population formula described in Section 101 of HAVA:
- Alabama ($6,160,393)
- Arizona ($7,463,675)
- Arkansas ($4,475,015)
- Connecticut ($5,120,554)
- Florida ($19,187,003)
- Illinois ($13,232,290)
- Kentucky ($5,773,423)
- Maryland ($7,063,699)
- Massachusetts ($7,890,854)
- Michigan ($10,706,992)
- Missouri ($7,230,625)
- Montana ($3,000,000)
- Nebraska ($3,496,936)
- New Jersey ($9,757,450)
- New Mexico ($3,699,470)
- New York ($19,483,647)
- North Dakota ($3,000,000)
- Oklahoma ($5,196,017)
- Oregon ($5,362,981)
- Pennsylvania ($13,476,156)
- Texas ($23,252,604)
- Utah ($4,111,052)
- Vermont ($3,000,000)
- Washington ($7,907,768)
- West Virginia ($3,611,943)
- Wisconsin ($6,978,318)
For a full list of states and the funding each is eligible to receive click here. To view a map of states that have requested funds, please click here.
The EAC sent states grant award notification letters in early April. The letter allowed states to incur costs, with prior EAC approval, against the forthcoming grant awards effective the date of the notification letter. Funds were then available for states to draw down and deposit in their state election accounts after they return signed grant documents and the required certifications and assurances.
The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018 requires that states match 5 percent of the federal funds. The matching funds must be made available within two years of the start of the grant award. To meet match obligations, states may either deposit matching funds in their state election accounts or track eligible funds and activities from their state and local general operating budgets. States with remaining HAVA funds from prior appropriations should track and report on those expenses separately from this new award.
For more information about today’s announcement or the HAVA grants, please contact Brenda Bowser Soder at [email protected] or 202-897-9285.
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The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) was established by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). It is an independent, bipartisan commission charged with ensuring secure, accurate and accessible elections by developing guidance to meet HAVA requirements, adopting voluntary voting system guidelines, and serving as a national clearinghouse of information on election administration. EAC also accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems, as well as administers the use of HAVA funds. For more information, visit www.eac.gov(opens in new tab).