Sponsors (56)
Introduced August 5, 2025 by Nikema Williams · Last progress August 5, 2025
The bill provides large, predictable federal investment and targeted resources to modernize and secure federal election administration and expand access, but does so at substantial taxpayer expense while increasing federal oversight, administrative requirements, and risks of uneven control or outside influence.
State and local election officials and voters nationwide receive predictable, large-scale federal funding ($2.5 billion/year, 2026–2035, plus a new Office and Trust Fund) enabling multi-year planning, hiring, training, and sustained improvements to election administration.
Voters nationwide get more secure and resilient elections because funding can be used to upgrade voting equipment, strengthen cybersecurity, and reduce risks of outages or manipulation.
Underserved voters (UOCAVA voters, people on Indian lands, people with disabilities, language minorities) gain targeted resources to increase access to Federal elections and make participation easier and more equitable.
Taxpayers will finance substantial recurring federal costs (roughly $2.5 billion per year for 10 years plus costs from creating a new federal Office and Trust Fund beginning FY2026), increasing federal outlays and potential pressure on budgets or deficits.
Federal conditions, centralized control, and competitive grant structures shift decision-making away from states and could favor some jurisdictions over others; states that fail to meet federal requirements risk losing direct control or having funds diverted to political subdivisions.
Detailed federal planning requirements, reporting, consultation obligations, and deadlines create added administrative burden on state and local election officials, consuming staff time and resources.
Based on analysis of 6 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal Office and a Trust Fund with $2.5B/year (FY2026–FY2035) to grant states money for election administration, cybersecurity, outreach, and access improvements tied to state plans.
Provides annual federal funding and a new grant program to help states improve election administration, cybersecurity, outreach, and access for underserved voters. It creates a dedicated Trust Fund with $2.5 billion authorized per year for FY2026–FY2035 and requires states to submit bipartisan state plans to receive allocations.