The League of Women Voters of the United States sent a letter to Congress in support of the Senate’s proposed $75 million appropriation for the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Security Grants in the Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations bill. The additional funding via HAVA Security Grants will enable states to make substantial progress in fortifying our nation’s election systems and ensuring that they remain resilient, secure, and accessible to all voters.
August 10, 2023
Members of the US Senate and US House
Washington, DC 20510
Sent via electronic mail
RE: Appropriations for HAVA Security Grants
Dear Members of Congress:
The League of Women Voters of the United States requests your support of the Senate’s proposed $75 million appropriation for the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) Security Grants in the final Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations bill. This funding is urgently needed in advance of the next federal election.
The League of Women Voters of the United States (LWVUS) was founded in 1920, working on the front lines of voter education to empower newly enfranchised women to cast their ballots following the ratification of the 19th Amendment. LWVUS remains committed to our century-old mission of empowering voters and defending democracy.
The League engages in advocacy, education, litigation, and organizing with our grassroots network of more than 500,000 members and supporters, across more than 750 local and state Leagues nationwide. The League is nonpartisan, neither supporting nor opposing candidates or political parties at any level of government but committed to protecting every person’s freedom to vote.
The additional funding via HAVA Security Grants will enable states to make substantial progress in fortifying our nation’s election systems and ensuring that they remain resilient, secure, and accessible to all voters. Looking ahead to 2024, the many factors that go into running elections in the 21st-century call for a continued and deepened federal investment in these systems.
The House proposal eliminating all funding for HAVA Security Grants leaves election officials unprepared to successfully and securely administer the 2024 elections. Reducing election funding for the upcoming fiscal year, when we are preparing to administer what is poised to be a very expensive federal election, is unwise fiscal policy and could lead to security vulnerabilities and limit access for eligible voters in future elections.
Given these pressing needs, both chambers of Congress must work to secure the full $75 million for election infrastructure recommended by the Senate Appropriation Committee for Fiscal Year 2024. This additional funding will enable us to make substantial progress in fortifying our election systems —ensuring that they remain resilient, secure, and accessible to all voters.
Although there are varied and competing demands on federal resources, investing in our election infrastructure is an investment in the foundation of our democracy. By providing adequate funding, we can continue to foster voter confidence, uphold the integrity of our electoral process, and guarantee that every citizen's voice is heard.
LWVUS hopes to be a resource to members of the 118th Congress in the endeavor to protect voting rights. Please do not hesitate to contact our staff via Jessica Jones Capparell, Director of Government Affairs, at [email protected], or Kristen Kern, Federal Policy and Advocacy Manager, at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Virginia Kase Solomón, CEO
League of Women Voters of the United States
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