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November 3, 2021
Elections Grant Programs: Authorizations and Appropriations
Congress first authorized major federal grant programs for
HAVA’s two general grant programs were not originally
elections in the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA;
designed—and have not functioned—as regular sources of
P.L. 107-252). HAVA was enacted in response to issues
new elections funding for states. Congress has returned to
with the conduct of the 2000 elections. Like previous
them on occasion, though, to provide states with further
federal elections statutes, it set requirements for the
funding. It appropriated $400 million for FY2020 under
administration of federal elections. Unlike previous
HAVA’s general improvements grant program to help
elections statutes, it also provided for grant programs to
states address elections effects of COVID-19 (P.L. 116-
help states meet those requirements and identify and
136), for example, and $380 million for FY2018 (P.L. 115-
implement other improvements to election administration.
141) and $425 million for FY2020 (P.L. 116-93) in
response to foreign interference in the 2016 elections.
No new federal elections grant programs on the scale of
HAVA’s have been authorized as of this writing. Grant
With the exception of the COVID-19-related funding—
programs have been established for certain more limited
which states had to either obligate by December 31, 2020,
purposes, however, such as conducting pilot projects to
or return to the U.S. Treasury—funds provided under the
improve the collection of election data. Congress has also
requirements payments and general improvements grant
provided further appropriations under HAVA’s grant
programs have also been available to recipients indefinitely.
programs, such as funding for FY2020 to help states
States are not required to spend funds received under those
address effects of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
programs, or any interest the funds generate, within a
19) pandemic on administration of the 2020 elections.
particular timeframe.
This In Focus provides an overview of the elections-
Table 1 summarizes the elections-specific grant programs
specific grant programs Congress has established and
Congress has authorized and funded as of this writing. For
funded to date. It also briefly discusses non-elections-
more information about each program, see CRS Report
specific grant programs that have been used to support
R46646, Election Administration: Federal Grant Funding
elections-related activities.
for States and Localities, by Karen L. Shanton.
Elections-Specific Grant Programs
Other Grant Programs
HAVA authorized two general grant programs for states:
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) is the
only federal agency dedicated to election administration,
a general improvements grant program that was
but other agencies have experience or expertise that may be
designed to help states make general improvements to
relevant to elections. That is reflected in the administration
the administration of federal elections; and
of some elections-specific grant programs. Although the
a requirements payments program that was intended
EAC oversees most federal elections grant programs, for
primarily to help states meet the requirements set by title
example, programs related to disability access and military
III of HAVA but could also be applied to more general
and overseas voting have been assigned to the U.S.
improvements if a state limited its spending on such
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the
improvements to a specified level or had already met the
U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), respectively.
HAVA requirements.
The relevance of other agencies to elections is also reflected
The act also authorized more specialized grant programs
in the use of some non-elections-specific grants for
aimed at encouraging or facilitating activities related to
elections-related activities. A full accounting of all of the
voting systems, accessibility for voters with disabilities,
federal grant programs that have been or could be used to
youth voter participation, and poll worker recruitment.
support elections-related work is beyond the scope of this
In Focus, but U.S. Department of Education (ED), National
The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment (MOVE)
Science Foundation (NSF), and Federal Emergency
Act of 2009 (enacted as part of P.L. 111-84) set new
Management Agency (FEMA) programs offer some
requirements for military and overseas voting and
illustrative examples. Grants have been awarded under an
authorized new funding for HAVA requirements payments
ED grant program for educating children about the
to help states meet them. Federal grant programs have also
importance of voting, for example, and under NSF
been established since HAVA for reimbursing certain costs
programs for conducting voting technology research.
of replacing voting systems (P.L. 108-7), conducting pilot
FEMA has provided funding to help states address elections
programs to improve election data collection (P.L. 110-
effects of disasters—such as Hurricane Katrina and the
161), and conducting pilot programs to test new election
September 11, 2001, attacks—and required applicants for
technologies for military and overseas voters (MOVE Act,
some of its FY2020 homeland security grants to include
P.L. 111-84).
election security projects in their proposals.
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Elections Grant Programs: Authorizations and Appropriations
Table 1. Authorizations and Appropriations for Elections-Specific Federal Grant Programs, as of Nov. 3, 2021
Grant Program
Auth. of Appropriations
Appropriations
Summary of Primary Purpose
Requirements payments
FY03-05: Total of $3 bil ion
FY03-04: Total of $2.3 bil iona Complying with specified requirements
52 U.S.C. §§21001-21008; Election
FY10 and subsequent fiscal
FY08-10: Total of $285
for the administration of federal
Assistance Commission (EAC)
years: such sums as necessary
mil ion
electionsb
General improvements
$325 mil ion
FY03: c
Making general improvements to the
52 U.S.C. §§20901, 20903-20906; EAC &
FY18: $380 mil ion administration of federal electionsd
General Services Administration (GSA)
FY20: $825 mil ion
Lever and punch card voting system $325 mil ion
FY03: c
Replacing lever or punch card voting
replacement
systems in precincts that used them in
52 U.S.C. §§20902-20906; EAC & GSA
the Nov. 2000 federal election
Voting technology research
FY03: $20 mil ion
FY09-10: Total of $8 mil ion
Researching improvements to election
52 U.S.C. §§21041-21043; EAC
systems and voting equipment
Voting technology pilot programs
FY03: $10 mil ion
FY09-10: Total of $3 mil ion
Conducting pilot programs to test new
52 U.S.C. §§21051-21053; EAC
voting technologies
Voting system replacement
e
FY03: $15 mil ion
Reimbursing costs of obtaining optical
reimbursements
scan or electronic voting equipment
P.L. 108-7; GSA
prior to the Nov. 2000 federal election
Military and overseas election
Such sums as necessary
f
Conducting pilot programs to test
technology pilot programs
election technologies for military and
52 U.S.C. §20311; Dept. of Defense
overseas voters
Pol ing place accessibility
FY03-05: Total of $100
g
Improving and providing information
52 U.S.C. §§21021-21025; Dept. of
mil ion
about the accessibility of pol ing places
Health & Human Services (HHS)
to individuals with disabilities
Protection and advocacy (P&A)
FY03-06: Total of $40 mil ion
g
Ensuring access to the electoral
system
Subsequent fiscal years: such
process for individuals with disabilitiesh
52 U.S.C. §§21061-21062; HHS
sums as necessary
Mock elections
FY03: $200,000
FY04-05: Total of $400,000
Conducting voter education activities
52 U.S.C. §§21071-21072; EAC
Subsequent six fiscal years:
FY08-10: Total of $800,000i
for students and their parents
such sums as necessary
Help America Vote Col ege
FY03: $5 mil ion
FY03-05: Total of $2.5 mil ion
E
n
cou r
agi
ng col ege students to serve
Programj
Subsequent fiscal years: such
FY08-10: Total of $2.3
as pol workers and election officials to
52 U.S.C. §§21121-21123; EAC
sums as necessary
mil ioni
use their services
Election data collection pilot
e
FY08: $10 mil ion
Conducting pilot programs to improve
programs
the col ection of data about the Nov.
52 U.S.C. §20981 note; EAC
2008 federal election
Source: CRS, based on review of the U.S. Code and relevant appropriations measures.
Notes: Figures are rounded. Authorization of appropriations figures reflect levels recommended in laws other than appropriations acts.
a. Report language accompanying P.L. 108-199 indicated that $750,000 of this funding was for the Help America Vote Foundation, $750,000
was for the Help America Vote Col ege Program, and $200,000 was for the mock elections grant program.
b. The FY03-05 funds and the FY10 and subsequent year funds were authorized for meeting requirements set by HAVA and the MOVE Act
of 2009, respectively. Requirements payments can also be used for general election administration improvements under certain conditions.
c. P.L. 108-7 provided $650 mil ion for the combination of these two programs and did not specify a distribution of funds between them.
d. Explanatory statements accompanying P.L. 115-141 and P.L. 116-93—which provided $380 mil ion for FY18 and $425 mil ion for FY20,
respectively—listed election security-specific uses to which those funds may be applied. The CARES Act (P.L. 116-136) limited use of the
other $400 mil ion provided for FY20 to preventing, preparing for, and responding to the coronavirus in the 2020 federal election cycle.
e. There is no statutory language concerning these programs separate from the language in appropriations legislation.
f.
Funding used for this grant program appears to have come from general DOD research funding rather than program-specific funding.
g. Totals of $80.7 and $43.2 mil ion, respectively, were provided for the polling place accessibility program for FY03-06 and FY08-10 and the
P&A program for those years and FY12-13. Appropriations for FY07, FY11, and starting in FY14 have been included in general budget
authority for certain HHS programs. HHS has reported that, starting with FY14, funding has only been directed to the P&A program.
h. HAVA directs HHS to set aside 7% of the funding appropriated for this program for training and technical assistance.
i.
These figures reflect funding levels specified in report language as well as levels specified in bil text.
j.
The figures listed here are for the program as a whole. The EAC is authorized to conduct various activities as part of the program.
Karen L. Shanton, Analyst in American National
Government
https://crsreports.congress.gov
Elections Grant Programs: Authorizations and Appropriations
IF11961
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