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1 1 (September 8, 2023)

handle is hein.crs/govemud0001 and id is 1 raw text is: a Congressional Research Service lnforming the Iegislative debate since 1914 September 8, 2023 Election Administration: Overview of FY2024 Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) Appropriations States and localities have primary responsibility for administering elections in the United States, but the federal government supports and shapes their efforts. One way it does so is through appropriations measures, by providing federal funding for elections-related grants and agency activities or setting elections-related conditions on funding. Multiple federal agencies play-or could play-a role in supporting or shaping state and local elections work, so elections-related provisions might appear in any of various appropriations measures. One consistent source of such provisions is Financial Services and General Government (FSGG) appropriations legislation. The FSGG subcommittees of the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations have jurisdiction over funding for various federal government functions, including, notably, the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The EAC is the only federal agency that is dedicated to helping improve the general administration of elections, and it has often been charged with administering grant funding Congress has provided specifically for elections. For more on the EAC and its grant programs, see CRS Report R45770, The U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EA C): Overview and Selected Issues for Congress, by Karen L. Shanton. This In Focus provides an overview of provisions of FY2024 FSGG appropriations measures related to election administration. It starts by describing relevant provisions of the President's FY2024 budget request and then summarizes congressional action on elections provisions of FY2024 FSGG appropriations bills to date. The In Focus does not address provisions related to campaign finance. 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 EAC operations in previous fiscal years, see Figure 1. In addition to providing general operational funding for the EAC, the budget request proposes authorizing the agency to apply up to $3.7 million of unobligated balances from prior- year appropriations for certain grant programs to the Help America Vote College Program, which is aimed at encouraging students at institutions of higher education to serve as poll workers. The request also proposes two sets of general grant funding to be administered by the agency: * FY2024 funding. The budget request includes $300 million for FY2024 for grants to the 50 states, the District of Columbia (DC), American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands for making general improvements to the administration of federal elections. The grant funding would be distributed according to a formula set out in HAVA, with a guaranteed minimum of $3 million for each of the 50 states and DC and $600,000 for each of the territories. Grantees would be required to provide a 20% match for the federal funds they received, although the match requirement would be expected to be waived for territories other than Puerto Rico. * Longer-term funding. The request also includes a legislative proposal to provide $5 billion, to be distributed by formula over 10 years, to support state and local election infrastructure. According to the request, the funding would be available for making elections-related capital investments, such as upgrades to voting systems and physical structures; recruiting, training, and retaining election workers; enhancing physical and cyber security; and improving voter access. Figure 1. Proposed and Enacted Funding for EAC Operations ($ millions) Sources: CRS, based on review of the President's budget requests and relevant appropriations measures. Notes: Figures are for the EAC's Salaries and Expenses account. They do not reflect rescissions, sequestration reductions, or funds designated for NIST, the Help America Vote College Program, mock election grants, or agency relocation expenses. r

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