Issue One responds after House lawmakers propose $15 million in election funding

In response to yesterday’s House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (FSGG) FY2026 markup, which allocated $15 million in federal funding for our critical election infrastructure, Issue One’s Policy Director Michael McNulty released the following statement:

“Running safe and secure elections is one of our democracy’s most critical functions. With hardworking local election officials across the country being asked to do more with less, Congress has an opportunity to provide officials with the resources they need to do their jobs and to defend our democracy against increasingly sophisticated threats. The $15 million proposed by the House Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee (FSGG) recognizes the need for continued election infrastructure funding, but it is a small fraction of what election officials have indicated they need to meet rising costs and evolving threats.

“Without adequate federal investment, the cost of running elections will increasingly fall to local taxpayers. Supporting our nation’s election infrastructure isn’t a partisan issue — it’s a practical one. We urge leaders in Congress to continue working together to ensure that our dedicated public servants have the resources they need to serve voters and uphold the integrity of our democratic process.”

Background

Last month, in a letter shared with members of the Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations Subcommittee in the House and Senate, nearly 20 bipartisan election officials from across the country called on Congress to support U.S. elections by providing at least $400 million to bolster the nation’s election infrastructure, writing that they are “united in calling for robust investment in our nation’s election infrastructure at a time of mounting threats and operational challenges.”

The bipartisan coalition, which included Nevada Secretary of State Cisco Aguilar, Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, former Washington Secretary of State Kim Wyman, and other members of Issue One’s Faces of Democracy campaign, added that “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.”

“State and local officials cannot replace these services without additional federal support,” the letter goes on to say. “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.”

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