DHS makes counterterrorism grants dependent on states’ election security policies
Article excerpt
The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that states will have to adopt a series of election security measures to receive certain federal homeland security grants, linking counterterrorism funding to election administration. Under the new guidance, states seeking Homeland Security Grant Program funding must certify that they have implemented what DHS called “common-sense election security […]
The Department of Homeland Security announced Friday that states will have to adopt a series of election security measures to receive certain federal homeland security grants, linking counterterrorism funding to election administration.
Under the new guidance, states seeking Homeland Security Grant Program funding must certify that they have implemented what DHS called “common-sense election security measures.”
The agency laid out five eligibility requirements for DHS grants. States must: use the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements or SAVE database to verify voter eligibility, verify the citizenship of poll workers, conduct a manual audit of at least 5% of all ballots cast in federal elections, match the number of ballots to the number of voters, and move away from systems that rely on barcoded ballots. If states do not comply, 20% of the grant amount will be withheld by DHS.
The new safeguards are intended to ensure election integrity, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said. States that do not comply risk losing a portion of their grant funding.
“Election security is national security and protecting the Nation’s critical infrastructure is a top priority,” Mullin said. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are taking decisive action to protect election systems from threats like foreign interference, insider threats, and cyberattacks. These new requirements for homeland security grant recipients will preserve election integrity and ensure that Americans can trust the results.”
The grants are primarily intended to help states and local governments prepare for terrorism, cybersecurity threats, natural disasters, and other homeland security risks. Election security has long been an eligible use of a small portion of those funds, but the new policy makes broader DHS funding contingent on states adopting the Trump administration’s preferred election practices.
DHS’s move comes as the administration continues to push the SAVE America Act, legislation that would require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. The House has approved versions of the measure, but it has repeatedly stalled in the Senate, where Republicans have struggled to secure enough support for it to advance.
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President Donald Trump had made the passage of the legislation a top priority, saying he would not sign additional legislation until Congress sends the SAVE America Act to his desk.
DHS said the new requirements are intended to ensure “only eligible American citizens vote in federal elections” and to strengthen confidence in election integrity. The department argued that states receiving federal homeland security dollars should adopt baseline election security standards alongside their broader preparedness efforts.