Election security investment is a national security imperative

Voters lined up on Election Day at the Scott County Public Library precinct in Georgetown, Nov. 5, 2024. (Kentucky Lantern photo by Arden Barnes)

Last November, the American people made their voices heard at the ballot box. Up and down the ballot, there was a clear mandate for Republican leadership, especially at the federal level. What was also very clear was that the public servants who ran our elections made sure that voters were safe, the process was secure, and that all eligible voters had the opportunity to cast a ballot.

To make all of that happen, time and resources are required. Election workers spend months preparing for election day — they test voting equipment, hire part-time staff and poll workers, determine polling locations, and so much more. And to do all of this, election workers need to have sufficient funding and resources from the local, state and federal levels.

Federal election funding can be a massive help for local election officials. During the first Trump administration, Congress allocated over $400 million in fiscal 2020 for election security funding. Since then, we have seen a steep decline in federal resources dedicated to safeguarding the security of our elections. In fiscal 2024, only $55 million was allocated for protecting our election infrastructure. 

This decline in federal investment comes while foreign adversaries have sought to interfere with our elections and destabilize our democracy. With these new cybersecurity threats on the rise, we should be investing more in our election security infrastructure, not less. Regular federal support for election workers will go a long way to bolstering our cybersecurity infrastructure and preventing foreign interference in our democracy. 

These federal resources serve other critical functions as well. In addition to boosting our cybersecurity posture, election workers can use federal resources to purchase new equipment, update voter registration systems, provide training to staff and poll workers, and hire additional staff. These additional resources can help jurisdictions count their votes more quickly, so that we don’t have to wait a month to find out who controls the U.S. Congress.

One thing that additional resources will not change: It is up to Kentucky’s – and other state’s — leadership to make decisions about how these resources are spent. 

As Congress returns its focus to finalizing the fiscal 2025 budget, I urge my fellow Republicans to appropriate $75 million in election funding, the level of investment unanimously advanced by the Senate Appropriations Committee last year. As they did during the first Trump administration, Republican leaders in both chambers should continue to advocate for this funding and show that securing our election infrastructure is a top issue.

As the former secretary of state in Kentucky who is still very involved in elections administration, I am keenly aware of the hard work, effort, and resources that go into running safe and secure elections. As the threats against our democracy become more frequent and sophisticated, Congress must provide the necessary resources to combat these challenges. And with new Republican leadership, now is the time to pass $75 million in election security grants.