Election Administration: Overview of FY2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations

Election Administration: Overview of FY2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations

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September 8, 2023
Election Administration: Overview of FY2024 Financial
Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations
States and localities have primary responsibility for
year appropriations for certain grant programs to the Help
administering elections in the United States, but the federal
America Vote College Program, which is aimed at
government supports and shapes their efforts. One way it
encouraging students at institutions of higher education to
does so is through appropriations measures, by providing
serve as poll workers. The request also proposes two sets of
federal funding for elections-related grants and agency
general grant funding to be administered by the agency:
activities or setting elections-related conditions on funding.
• FY2024 funding. The budget request includes $300
Multiple federal agencies play—or could play—a role in
million for FY2024 for grants to the 50 states, the
supporting or shaping state and local elections work, so
District of Columbia (DC), American Samoa, the
elections-related provisions might appear in any of various
Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam,
appropriations measures. One consistent source of such
Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for making
provisions is Financial Services and General Government
general improvements to the administration of federal
(FSGG) appropriations legislation. The FSGG
elections. The grant funding would be distributed
subcommittees of the House and Senate Committees on
according to a formula set out in HAVA, with a
Appropriations have jurisdiction over funding for various
guaranteed minimum of $3 million for each of the 50
federal government functions, including, notably, the U.S.
states and DC and $600,000 for each of the territories.
Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC is the
Grantees would be required to provide a 20% match for
only federal agency that is dedicated to helping improve the
the federal funds they received, although the match
general administration of elections, and it has often been
requirement would be expected to be waived for
charged with administering grant funding Congress has
territories other than Puerto Rico.
provided specifically for elections. For more on the EAC
and its grant programs, see CRS Report R45770, The U.S.
• Longer-term funding. The request also includes a
Election Assistance Commission (EAC): Overview and
legislative proposal to provide $5 billion, to be
Selected Issues for Congress, by Karen L. Shanton.
distributed by formula over 10 years, to support state
and local election infrastructure. According to the
This In Focus provides an overview of provisions of
request, the funding would be available for making
FY2024 FSGG appropriations measures related to election
elections-related capital investments, such as upgrades
administration. It starts by describing relevant provisions of
to voting systems and physical structures; recruiting,
the President’s FY2024 budget request and then
training, and retaining election workers; enhancing
summarizes congressional action on elections provisions of
physical and cyber security; and improving voter access.
FY2024 FSGG appropriations bills to date. The In Focus
does not address provisions related to campaign finance.
Figure 1. Proposed and Enacted Funding for EAC
Operations ($ millions)
President’s Budget Request
The President’s FY2024 budget request proposes about
$33.8 million for EAC Salaries and Expenses, including
$2.5 million to be made available to the National Institute
of Standards and Technology (NIST) for work authorized
by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). NIST is charged
by HAVA with providing technical support for a voluntary
voting system testing and certification program overseen by
the EAC, including by helping develop voluntary federal
guidelines for voting systems and recommend laboratories
to test systems to the guidelines. For more on that testing
and certification program, see CRS Report R47592,
Federal Standards and Guidelines for Voting Systems:
Overview and Potential Considerations for Congress, by

Karen L. Shanton. For proposed and enacted funding for
Sources: CRS, based on review of the President’s budget requests
EAC operations in previous fiscal years, see Figure 1.
and relevant appropriations measures.
Notes: Figures are for the EAC’s Salaries and Expenses account.
In addition to providing general operational funding for the
They do not reflect rescissions, sequestration reductions, or funds
EAC, the budget request proposes authorizing the agency to
designated for NIST, the Help America Vote Col ege Program, mock
apply up to $3.7 million of unobligated balances from prior-
election grants, or agency relocation expenses.
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link to page 2 Election Administration: Overview of FY2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations
The HAVA general improvements grant program under
H.R. 4664 includes the OPM and USPS provisions that are
which the first of those sets of funding would be provided
common to FSGG appropriations measures. It also includes
was a response to problems with the administration of the
some provisions new to the FY2024 bill that would set
2000 elections. Although it was originally introduced as
elections-related limits on the use or availability of federal
one-time funding states could use to address those
funding:
problems, Congress has returned to it in recent fiscal years
• Section 753 would prohibit providing any federal
in response to developments like foreign efforts to interfere
funding to states or localities that permit noncitizens to
in the 2016 elections and the onset of the Coronavirus
vote in federal elections. Noncitizens are currently
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the 2020 election
prohibited by federal law from voting in federal
cycle. For details of those appropriations, see Table 1.
elections, although some states and localities allow them
to vote in local contests.
The federal government has not previously provided
longer-term elections funding like the funding in the budget
• Section 758 would prohibit use of federal funding for
request’s legislative proposal, but similar funding has been
carrying out sections of Executive Order 14019 that
proposed in authorizing legislation in recent Congresses.
directed federal agencies to consider ways to expand
For example, the Freedom to Vote Act (S. 2747, 117th
citizens’ access to voter registration, information, and
Congress; H.R. 11/S. 1, 118th Congress) and the Sustaining
participation; accept states’ requests to designate them
Our Democracy Act (H.R. 7992/S. 4239, 117th Congress; S.
as voter registration agencies under the National Voter
630, 118th Congress) would each establish mechanisms for
Registration Act (NVRA), as practicable and consistent
providing states with longer-term elections funding.
with applicable law; modernize Vote.gov; and facilitate
civic participation by federal employees and access to
Table 1. Appropriations for HAVA’s General
voter registration and information for eligible
Improvements Grant Program, FY2018-FY2023
individuals in federal custody. The prohibition would
not apply to the sections of the executive order that
FY
Public Law
Amount
Uses
established a Native American voting rights steering
2020
P.L. 116-136 $400 mil ion
Addressing effects of
group or directed agencies to help ensure access for
COVID-19 in 2020
voters with disabilities, active duty military, and
federal election cycle
overseas citizens. For more on the NVRA, see CRS
Report R45030, Federal Role in Voter Registration: The
2018
P.L. 115-141 $380 mil ion
National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and Subsequent
Making general
2020
P.L. 116-93
$425 mil ion
Developments, by Sarah J. Eckman.
improvements to
administration of
2022
P.L. 117-103 $75 mil ion
Other new provisions of the FY2024 House bill would set
federal elections
limits on funding that might have additional implications
2023
P.L. 117-328 $75 mil ion
for election administration. For example, Section 755’s
Sources: CRS, based on review of relevant appropriations measures.
prohibition on using federal funding to classify
communications by U.S. persons as mis-, dis-, or mal-
information might affect efforts by election officials or their
Elections-related provisions also appear in the FY2024
federal partners to address election misinformation.
budget request for two other agencies covered by the FSGG
appropriations legislation. First, the request would fund
Senate
certain allowances for Office of Personnel Management
(OPM) employees serving as federal election observers
The Senate Committee on Appropriations reported its
FY2024 FSGG appropriations bill (S. 2309) on July 13,
under the Voting Rights Act. Second, it would reimburse
2023. The reported bill would provide $28 million for EAC
the United States Postal Service (USPS) for revenue
forgone as a result of carrying balloting materials for
Salaries and Expenses, of which $1.25 million would be for
NIST. The bill would also provide $75 million under the
individuals covered by the Uniformed and Overseas
same HAVA grant program as the first set of grant funding
Citizens Absentee Voting Act free of postage. Both of those
provisions are long-standing features of federal
in the President’s budget request. The grants funded by the
Senate bill would be available to the 50 states, DC, and the
appropriations measures that predate the 2007 creation of
the FSGG subcommittees.
territories, with a guaranteed minimum of $1 million for
each of the 50 states and DC and $200,000 for each of the
Congressional Action
territories. Like the President’s budget request, the bill
includes a 20% match requirement.
This In Focus reflects congressional action on FY2024
FSGG appropriations measures as of the publication date.
S. 2309 includes the OPM and USPS provisions common to
House
FSGG appropriations measures. It does not include the new
The House Committee on Appropriations reported its
provisions of H.R. 4664 described above that would set
elections-related limits on the use or availability of federal
FY2024 FSGG appropriations bill (H.R. 4664) on July 17,
funding.
2023. The reported bill would provide $20 million for EAC
Salaries and Expenses, of which $1.5 million would be for
NIST. The bill would not provide funding for any elections
Karen L. Shanton, Analyst in American National
grants to be administered by the EAC.
Government
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Election Administration: Overview of FY2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations

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