Sponsors (56)
Official title: To establish a democracy advancement and innovation program, and for other purposes.
Introduced August 5, 2025 by Nikema Williams · Last progress August 5, 2025
The bill supplies large, predictable federal funding and rules to modernize and secure elections and expand access—especially for underserved communities—but does so with federal conditions, new administrative burdens, and potential shifts in control and budgetary costs that could create disputes, capacity challenges, and perceptions of outside influence.
State and local election officials will receive predictable, multi-year federal funding (roughly $2.5 billion/year through 2035) that enables sustained upgrades to voting equipment, ballot access programs, and cybersecurity across jurisdictions.
Voters in underserved communities — including residents on Indian and Alaska Native lands and UOCAVA voters — gain expanded access to voting through funded outreach, early and mail voting expansion, and programs tailored to reach remote or underserved areas.
Federal support (grants) funds recruitment, training, protection, and retention of election workers, which should improve polling-place operations and reduce Election Day delays and errors.
States and localities may face federal conditions, centralization, and an independent Office with appointment protections that could shift control over certain election investments to federal priorities and lead to withheld funds or jurisdictional disputes if States don't comply.
Taxpayers effectively fund a large new federal commitment (about $25 billion over 10 years), increasing federal spending priorities and potentially affecting the deficit or other budget choices.
Preparing detailed grant plans, reports, complaint procedures, and complying with program rules will impose administrative burdens and costs on state and local election offices, potentially diverting local resources.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal grant program and Trust Fund with $2.5B/year (2026–2035) to pay states for election security, administration, and expanded voter access, subject to approved state plans.
Creates a federal grant program (the Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program) run by a new Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation that awards funds to States and territories to strengthen election administration, security, and voter access. It establishes a dedicated Trust Fund with $2.5 billion appropriated each year from 2026 through 2035 to pay for those grants and related Office activities, and sets planning, approval, and consultation requirements for states to receive money.