2016 ELECTION/BUDGET/VOTING: “Federal money set aside to help states upgrade their voting equipment is running out, at a time when many states are seeking to replace aging machines and further fortify against cyberattacks.
While federal funding has gradually diminished, the 2016 fiscal year marked a new low. As of September 2016, states had collectively spent more than the approximately $3.2 billion, distributed over several years, that Congress provided under the 2002 Help America Vote Act, according to a report from the independent Election Assistance Commission released Wednesday [8-16-17].
Several states now rely mostly on any interest accrued from federal grants or on other sources for election-related efforts, such as replacing equipment that is in some cases a decade old.
The EAC report highlights the uncertain state of funding for U.S. election systems. Local election officials, who don’t want to sow doubts about the soundness of their electoral process, say they will resolve any funding obstacles. In recent interviews, officials from California, Florida and Texas said they don’t expect the federal government to ease the financial burden, as it did after paper-ballot problems in the 2000 presidential election…
Brenda Soder, a spokeswoman for the EAC, said she isn’t aware of any congressional bill that would authorize new election-related grants to states, although that could change.”
-Alexa Corse, “States Need to Modernize the Polling Place, but Funding Is Scarce,” The Wall Street Journal online, Aug. 18, 2017 08:00am