States will get at least $3 million each to improve election security under spending deal

Erin Kelly | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Senators press DHS on safeguarding 2018 ballots The current and former chiefs of the Homeland Security Department defended themselves on Capitol Hill as senators pressed them on past lapses in state election security and how the country is defending those systems in the 2018 elections. (March 21)

WASHINGTON — States will receive at least $3 million each to protect their voting systems against Russian cyber attacks under a provision added to a sweeping government spending deal that Congress has reached.

The $1.3 trillion spending deal includes a total of $380 million for election security grants. The House passed the bill Thursday and sent it to the Senate for approval.

States have been scrambling to improve their cyber security after Homeland Security officials revealed last year that Russian hackers tried to breach election systems in at least 21 states in 2016. Although no actual votes were changed, hackers broke into Illinois' voter registration database.

Within 45 days, the Election Assistance Commission will send a grant award letter to each state’s chief election official telling them that funding is available and providing guidance on how to get the money, said Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who helped push for the funding as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Each state will receive a minimum of $3 million to improve election security. States with larger populations will get more, Coons said.

States must provide a short-term plan for how they will spend the money and agree to a 5% match of state funds within two years of receiving the federal dollars.

"There is no question that our election systems came under attack in 2016 and that our future elections — starting this fall — are likely to be targeted by Russia and other actors," Coons said Thursday. "The question, for months, has been: What is Congress going to do about it?...This is an important start."

States must use the funding to, among other things, replace outdated voting machines that do not provide a voter-verified paper record, implement a post-election audit process, upgrade computer systems to address vulnerabilities, ensure that top election officials get cyber security training, and fund other activities that will improve the security of congressional and presidential elections.

The funding provision gives states some flexibility in deciding how to spend the federal grants, since each state runs its elections differently, Coons said.

"Finally, it seems Congress is beginning to make election security a priority and we are seeing action meet rhetoric," said Rep. Bennie Thompson of Mississippi, the senior Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. "Make no mistake, this is a solid down-payment on securing our federal elections in 2018 and 2020, but much more must be done."

Indiana Secretary of State Connie Lawson, president of the National Association of Secretaries of State, said she looks forward to "investing those dollars in system upgrades, voting protections, and voter education."

"There is no higher priority than protecting our election systems," she said.

Vermont Secretary of State Jim Condos, the association's incoming president, said the funding will help states acquire "additional tools to ensure election integrity."

"Nothing could be more important," he said.

The Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday issued recommendations for how best to improve election security, including an urgent call for more funding to help states upgrade their voting systems. Fourteen states still use paperless voting machines in at least some precincts, leaving them with no paper record of how people voted.





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