Category Archives: Roy Blunt

Election Assistance Commission pleads for more money in Senate hearing

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The Election Assistance Commission is straining to secure elections in advance of the 2020 cycle with its current level of funding, the organization’s leadership told lawmakers Wednesday during a hearing on Capitol Hill. EAC chairwoman Christy McCormick said during a Senate Rules Committee hearing on election security that the commission has seen its budget halved from where it was in 2010, despite the fact that its responsibilities have greatly increased since the 2016 election. “That’s unbelievable,” Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, said of the cuts. “That’s like cutting the budget of the fire department in the middle of a five alarm fire. We’ve never had such a serious attack on our political systems that we’ve had in the last three years and your budget is 50 percent what it was.” All four EAC commissioners who testified Wednesday agreed that information sharing with local election officials needs to improve in advance of the 2020 elections. Two […]

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Election security experts wonder what lies beyond 2018

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With just over a month until the midterms, election officials from across the country say they’re more prepared to fend off election security threats thanks to increased partnerships with the federal government and financial assistance from Congress. But without legislation to solidify these newfound intergovernmental relationships, it’s unclear if the developments will hold beyond 2018. At a Wednesday summit on election preparedness hosted by the Election Assistance Commission, election officials from the local, state and federal levels touted the various ways they’ve boosted their security posture. Election offices have been devoting resources toward updating election software and equipment, securing voter registration systems, assessing their vulnerabilities, preparing for ballot audits and other practices. Some of that work has been made possible by a $380 million grant that Congress appropriated earlier this year, under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). Officials pointed to that as a good start, but some noted the need for […]

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State officials ask lawmakers for more election security funding

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All three state elections officials on a panel before the Senate Rules Committee Wednesday told lawmakers that they would gladly accept more financial assistance from the federal government for election security. The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) continues to dole out grants for states as part of a $380 million fund Congress appropriated in March under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). But the officials who run the country’s elections have some differences about the role federal lawmakers and agencies should play, with some worrying about overreach into a process run by the states. There was no disagreement at the hearing, however, that additional money would be welcomed. “While our upgrades to equipment and cybersecurity will be an ongoing challenge for many states, the federal funding received will regrettably be insufficient to do all that we want or need,” said Jim Condos, Vermont’s secretary of state. “However, we are very grateful for […]

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