Bipartisan election officials from across the country urge Congress to invest in U.S. elections

Nearly 20 bipartisan election officials — including five sitting secretaries of state and members of Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign made up of election administrators from across the country — are calling on Congress to support the public servants dedicated to administering free and fair elections by providing at least $400 million to bolster the nation’s election infrastructure.

In a letter shared with members of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee in the House and Senate, the bipartisan coalition of election officials — which includes Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and former Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman — write that they are “united in calling for robust investment in our nation’s election infrastructure at a time of mounting threats and operational challenges.”

“Recent cuts to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) election-related services threaten our ability to defend against increasingly sophisticated attacks by foreign adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran,” the letter states. “State and local officials cannot replace these services without additional federal support. While state and localities have long borne the primary responsibility for funding the majority of elections, the federal government has both a constitutional role and a responsibility to ensure the security of federal elections.”

Other officials joining in the call for funding include Weld County, Colorado Clerk and Recorder Carly Koppes and Director of the Board of Elections in Defiance, Ohio Tonya Wichman.

Last year, Congress provided only $15 million in election funding for local jurisdictions, an amount that fell profoundly short of what is needed to meet rising costs, ongoing threats, and new mandates that election officials are expected to implement.

“Election officials are committed to keeping our elections safe and accurate, but evolving cybersecurity threats abroad and challenges here at home require congressional action,” said Issue One’s Senior Legislative Associate Joshua Manuel Bonet. “The truth is, elections are expensive. Republicans and Democrats often disagree about how elections should be conducted. But when it comes to providing officials with the resources they need to do their jobs, there should be no debate. Elections are the backbone of our democracy, and safeguarding them is a shared responsibility.”

The House FSGG Subcommittee is scheduled to meet next week to markup spending levels for the upcoming fiscal year 2026 budget.

“Congress has the constitutional power, and the responsibility, to act,” Bonet added. “By providing consistent, reliable funding to support state election administration, Congress can uphold the rule of law, strengthen our democratic institutions, and ensure elections remain free and fair.”