Expedient distribution of new appropriation funds ensures states can receive critical resources ahead of 2018 Federal Election
Silver Spring, Md. – The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) today announced that 42 states and territories have requested a combined $288,882,011 in newly appropriated Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds, over 76 percent of the total amount available. The announcement comes just over three months after Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2018, which allocated $380 million in election security funds to all 50 states, the District of Columbia and the territories of American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
“The steady rate of incoming requests for this critical funding makes clear the urgent need for these new resources, and is a testament to the dedication of election officials and their commitment to bolstering the security of our country’s election systems,” said EAC Chairman Thomas Hicks. “This funding is just one of many ways states have worked to shore up their systems and make them more resilient since the previous election. While the ultimate impact of this funding will be determined by how states choose to use it, Americans should feel assured their election systems have integrity because of the diligent effort of election officials around the country to improve every aspect of their systems.”
HAVA funds were designated to improve the administration of elections for federal office. This $380 million in 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
- American Samoa - $600,000
- Arizona - $7,463,675
- Arkansas - $4,475,015
- Colorado - $6,342,979
- Connecticut - $5,120,554
- Delaware - $3,000,000
- District of Columbia - $3,000,000
- Florida - $19,187,003
- Idaho - $3,229,896
- Illinois - $13,232,290
- Iowa - $4,608,084
- Kentucky - $5,773,423
- Maryland - $7,063,699
- Massachusetts - $7,890,854
- Michigan - $10,706,992
- Minnesota - $6,595,610
- Mississippi - $4,483,541
- Missouri - $7,230,625
- Montana - $3,000,000
- Nebraska - $3,496,936
- New Hampshire - $3,102,253
- New Jersey - $9,757,450
- New Mexico - $3,699,470
- New York - $19,483,647
- North Carolina - $10,373,237
- North Dakota - $3,000,000
- Ohio - $12,186,021
- Oklahoma - $5,196,017
- Oregon - $5,362,981
- Pennsylvania - $13,476,156
- Rhode Island - $3,000,000
- South Carolina - $6,040,794
- South Dakota - $3,000,000
- Texas - $23,252,604
- U.S. Virgin Islands - $600,000
- Utah - $4,111,052
- Vermont - $3,000,000
- Virginia - $9,080,731
- 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 Commission has also distributed Congressional guidance on how states could spend the funding and an FAQ guide.
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.