Opinion | Stars, stripes and secure elections: Fund our election offices

Ensuring every vote counts is one of the most American ideals we can uphold. So I want to take this opportunity to share some thoughts about the importance of protecting the democratic process.

This should be, by any measure, a golden age for modern elections. With the advent of early voting and mail-in voting, people have more options to participate conveniently and securely. Rigorous auditing processes ensure the integrity and accuracy of the results. Citizens can serve as election workers themselves and see firsthand how the process works.

The reality, however, is that we operate in an era of unprecedented threats. Election security has increasingly become a national security issue. After the 2016 election, the Department of Homeland Security declared our electoral system to be “critical infrastructure,” giving election equipment the same designation as the financial sector or the power grid. AI-generated deepfakes can manufacture false narratives. Ransomware attacks can put voter data at risk. Foreign actors can cause significant disruptions. Election officials are prepared to combat these threats across the country, but they cannot take critical precautionary steps without resources.

Yet for all that, federal funding to combat these threats has not matched the urgency of this critical designation — not even close. Annual funding for Help America Vote Act grants has fluctuated and dwindled. Local election offices need adequate resources — independent estimates say $53 billion over 10 years — to continually maintain and modernize our systems. But this spring, Congress allocated a mere $55 million for election security grants — for the entire country. To put this glaring disparity in perspective, it costs $75 million just for the City of Los Angeles to conduct their elections.

Making matters worse, the House of Representatives is considering a proposal that would completely eliminate funding for election security grants altogether. We simply cannot allow this to happen.

The impact of underfunding election security in Michigan and across the country cannot be overstated. We are already operating on increasingly tight budgets and decreasing staffing levels. Without adequate resources, election officials will increasingly struggle to implement necessary security measures, conduct thorough training for election workers, and perform comprehensive audits. 

This doesn’t have to be a partisan issue. In fact, there is widespread public support for investing in securing elections — including 80% of all registered voters. Furthermore, 98% of voters view investments in physical and cybersecurity systems as crucial. 

Congress must listen to its constituents and reverse course. This is not just a funding issue; it is much more fundamental than that. The electoral system is a bedrock pillar of our democracy. Underfunding election security ultimately threatens to undermine confidence in the electoral process itself and potentially discourage voter turnout.

In this month when we commemorate our nation’s independence, let’s remember that the enduring strength of our democracy lies in the power of the vote. By protecting our elections, we can make sure that every eligible voter has their vote counted and every voice is heard.