The Trump administration is proposing to withhold tens of millions of dollars in federal homeland security funds from states unless they implement specific election changes. According to internal documents and multiple sources, the proposed rules would require states to phase out certain electronic voting systems and verify voter citizenship through a federal database. States that do not comply could lose 20% of their grant funding, which is used for terrorism prevention and disaster preparedness.
The new guidelines are expected to be issued to states later this month and would mandate several reforms, including the transition to hand-marked paper ballots and conducting manual election audits. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has stated that election security is a national security priority, and accountability for taxpayer dollars is expected.
Critics argue that the proposed changes may face legal challenges, as the Constitution grants states control over election administration. Some experts believe that the new requirements could be blocked in court. The potential costs for states to upgrade their election systems to meet these new standards could be significant, with estimates suggesting a nationwide cost of approximately $2.7 billion.