Sponsors (2)
The bill preserves and supports odd-year local election scheduling and funding for compliant jurisdictions to bolster local control and clearer local ballots, but it risks reduced turnout in some places, higher local costs, funding losses for noncomplying states, and potential politicization or legal disputes over federal funding conditions.
Local election jurisdictions that hold odd-year local-office elections will retain access to HAVA and other federal election-administration funds starting in FY2027, reducing disruption to election operations and helping maintain services for voters.
Congressional support for scheduling local-office elections in odd-numbered years reinforces local control over election timing, preserving municipal authority to set election calendars.
Staggering local elections into odd years can produce less-crowded ballots and more attention to local issues and candidates, which can improve voter focus and local official accountability.
Residents in States that do not meet the bill's timing requirements risk losing federal election-administration funding, which could reduce polling access and lead to longer wait times or degraded election services.
Municipalities and some state governments may face increased administrative and financial costs from running separate odd-year election cycles or from losing federal funds, forcing budget reallocations that could raise local taxes or cut other services.
Shifting local elections to odd years can lower turnout compared with holding elections concurrently with even-year federal contests, reducing civic participation in some communities and weakening representativeness of local offices.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Stops federal election-administration funding to any State that lacks a law permitting local governments to hold odd-numbered-year local-office elections, effective FY2027.
Official title: To amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 to prohibit the use of Federal funds for the administration of elections for Federal, State, or local office in States which do not have in effect laws to permit units of local government to hold elections for local office in odd-numbered years, and for other purposes.
Introduced February 21, 2025 by Andrew R. Garbarino · Last progress February 21, 2025
Prohibits federal election-administration funds from being spent in any State that does not have a law permitting units of local government to hold local-office elections in odd-numbered years, starting in fiscal year 2027. It also expresses congressional findings that odd-year local elections improve voter focus on local candidates and issues and states a congressional preference that local governments be allowed to schedule local elections in odd years.