Trump admin plans to use DHS funds to force states election changes

Key Points:

• The Trump administration is threatening to withhold up to 20% of federal homeland security funds from states that do not adopt a series of mandated election reforms, including phasing out certain electronic voting systems and using hand-marked paper ballots.
• States must also run their voter rolls through the Department of Homeland Security’s controversial SAVE citizenship verification database, a move critics argue risks wrongly flagging eligible voters.
• These conditions are part of new grant guidelines for homeland security funding, which totals over $1 billion annually, and represent a significant escalation from previous requirements that only 3% of funds be spent on election security.
• Legal experts expect these mandates to face court challenges, as the Constitution grants states primary authority over elections and past attempts by the administration to impose election changes have been blocked by courts.
• The required election changes could be costly for states, with estimates of nationwide upgrades reaching $2.7 billion, and some states like Georgia projecting tens of millions in expenses, potentially exceeding the withheld federal funds.