Sen. Elizabeth Warren's elections overhaul plan would cost an estimated $20 billion over the next decade, with $15 billion going toward election administration and $5 billion for election security. | Sean Rayford/Getty Images Democratic Candidates Policies How Sen. Elizabeth Warren would overhaul elections

Democrat Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping plan to give the federal government a far bigger role in setting the rules for elections, rather than deferring to states and localities.

"[T]he Constitution gives Congress the tools to regulate the administration of federal elections," Warren wrote in a Medium post. "It’s time to pick up those tools and use them."

What would the plan do?


For federal elections, Warren wants to replace all old and paperless voting machines, standardize ballots, mandate a minimum of 15 days of early voting, make Election Day a holiday, restore the right to vote for those out of prison, create automatic voter registration and revamp election cybersecurity. She would also provide financial incentives for states to adopt those standards in their own elections.

How would it work?

The plan attempts to leverage the federal government's constitutional authority over federal elections to push states and localities to reform their own election processes. In order to incentivize that process, the federal government would "pay the entirety of a state’s election administration costs, as long as the state meets federal standards in its state and local elections and works to make voting more convenient."

What are the weaknesses in the proposal?

This plan would almost certainly set off innumerable political and legal battles between the federal government, state governments and localities over who controls elections. Some states and localities would likely insist on administering their own elections, with their own rules for voter ID and registration, leading to bifurcated election systems and confusion among voters.

How much would it cost?



$20 billion

The Warren team estimates its plan would cost $20 billion over the next decade, with $15 billion going toward election administration and $5 billion for election security. These are rough estimates, however, because the current Balkanized election system makes it difficult to estimate the exact cost.

How would she pay for it?

Warren says her administration would pay for it through an "ultra-millionaire tax," sometimes referred to as a wealth tax. That proposal would put a 2 percent tax on all household net worth between $50 million and $1 billion, according to the proposal.

What have other Democrats proposed?

Former Rep. Beto O'Rourke recently released a plan that shares some elements of Warren's, including new voting rights laws, making Election Day a holiday and providing more money for election security. Several candidates support efforts to allow the formerly incarcerated to vote and to end voter ID laws that they call discriminatory. Sen. Bernie Sanders supports allowing people to vote while in prison, including those who have committed violent crimes.

Who would it help?

The plan is designed to help people who want voting to be easier.

Who opposes it?

Some conservatives will likely oppose the plan because it attempts to undo most of the voter ID laws in the states and would empower the federal government at the expense of states and localities. Other conservatives will almost certainly raise objections because of the plan's cost and the new taxes it would require.

