May 31, 2024
The Election Infrastructure Initiative
303 E Wacker Ave, Suite 2106
Chicago, IL, 60601
Dear Chairman Cole, Ranking Member DeLauro, Chairman Joyce, and Ranking Member Hoyer,
As organizations and election officials deeply committed to safeguarding and expanding voting access, we are writing to urge you to make available, through the budget and appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2025, $400 million of funding for election infrastructure. This appropriation is one of the most critical voting rights priorities for the 118th Congress. With changing laws in state legislatures across the country, including restrictions on nonprofit support for election administration and limitations on local tax revenue, elections offices are left with limited options to meet urgent gaps in equipment, personnel, and facilities.
We welcome Congress’ allocation of $55 million in the FY 2024 package, which will help to address the needs of voters across the nation. However, the challenges we face moving forward require a more substantial and sustained investment to ensure that all Americans can exercise their fundamental right to vote.
Election officials in every state encounter a multitude of challenges each electoral cycle, which demand substantial financial resources. These challenges encompass navigating a dynamic landscape of cybersecurity threats, modernizing voting equipment to eliminate technical issues and ensure accurate result tabulation, continuous improvements to voter registration systems for precise voter rolls, and comprehensive training and education for election staff, poll workers, and the public.
When election administration is not adequately resourced, the core functions of our elections and the democratic process are threatened, as is the ability of large numbers of voters to participate. Frontline election workers who keep our democracy running year in and year out are unable to serve their communities, and voters—especially voters of color and those in low-income communities—risk disenfranchisement. Inadequate funding of election offices can cause long lines, delays in processing voter registrations or mail ballots, and other problems that can become insurmountable for significant numbers of would-be voters.
A 2021 analysis by the Election Infrastructure Initiative found that election infrastructure needs at the local and state level over the next decade are a full $53 billion. Given the critical and substantial nature of these needs, we urge your support in including $400 million in the FY 2025 package, a strong start to addressing this overwhelming need. In addition to the funding request above, we also urge you to include a requirement that a certain portion of future funding allocations be passed through directly to localities, where a good deal of election administration takes place, to ensure these frontline democracy workers have the resources they need to run safe, secure, and modern elections.
We understand that federal resources are limited and face competing demands, but funding our election infrastructure is an investment in every facet of our lives. Federal funding for elections will bolster voter confidence, ensure that every citizen’s voice is heard, and safeguard the integrity of our electoral process—all essential ingredients in a healthy democracy.
Thank you for your dedication to our democracy. We appreciate your consideration of this crucial request.
Sincerely,
Patty Hansen
County Recorder
Coconino County, Arizona
Kristin B. Connelly
Clerk-Recorder and Registrar of Voters
Contra Costa County, California
Tommy Gong
Deputy County Clerk-Recorder
and Registrar of Voters
Contra Costa County, California
Cathy Darling Allen
Retired Shasta County Clerk
Shasta County, California
R. Todd Davidson
Election Director
Denver, Colorado
Paul Lopez
Clerk and Recorder
City and County of Denver, Colorado
Amanda Gonzalez
Clerk and Recorder
Jefferson County, Colorado
Sara Mussen
Registrar of Voters
Colchester, Connecticut
Giselle Feliciano
Registrar of Voters
Hartford, Connecticut
Jillian Brimecombe
Deputy Registrar of Voters
Windsor, Connecticut
Omega R Finney
Henry County Board of Elections and Voter
Registration – Board Member
Henry County, Georgia
Kecia Brown
Supervisor
Charlton, Georgia
Lisa M. Watson
Executive Director
City of Galesburg, Illinois
Anthony Vega
County Clerk
Lake County, Illinois
Bonnie Johnson
Information Security Officer
McHenry County, Illinois
Jessica Hockemeyer
Voter Registration/Election Supervisor
Whitley County, Indiana
Renee Roland
Deputy Auditor
Sac County, Iowa
John L. Myers, Jr.
Elected Town Clerk
Town of Buxton, Maine
Catherine Harder-Bernier
Town Clerk
Hanover, Massachusetts
Wendi Heyliger
Township Clerk
Buchanan Charter Township, Michigan
Kim Meltzer
Township Clerk
Clinton Township, Michigan
Joel Hondorp
City Clerk
Grand Rapids, Michigan
Dawn Sawicki-Franz
Clerk/Treasurer
Imlay City, Michigan
Chris Swope
City Clerk
Lansing City, Michigan
Brian Jackson
Chief Deputy City Clerk
Lansing City, Michigan
Lisa Brown
County Clerk/Register of Deeds
Oakland County, Michigan
Eileen Harryvan
Township Clerk
Township of Southfield, Michigan
Savannah Wendeln
Election Manager
Blaine County, Montana
Phil Hatcher
Ward Clerk
Dover, New Hampshire
Glen Mendez
Commissioner
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Katharine E. Clark
County Clerk
Santa Fe County, New Mexico
Judith L. Garrison
Election Commissioner
Delaware County, New York
Aaron Ockerman
Executive Director
Ohio Association of Election Officials
Maureen Dambra
Instructional Training Coordinator
Cuyahoga, Ohio
Pamela J. Kerrigan
Director
Shelby County, Ohio
Cheryl Seely
County Clerk
Crook County, Oregon
Bill Burgess
County Clerk
Marion County, Oregon
Sheilah Crider
Auditor
Island County, Washington
Tim Scott
Director of Elections
Multnomah County, Oregon
Lisa Gambee
County Clerk
Wasco County, Oregon
Christine Du Bois-Buxbaum
Precinct Judge of Elections
Lansdowne, Pennsylvania
Sandrea Speroni
Town Clerk
Town of Warren, Rhode Island
Chelsea Magwire
Assistant Town Clerk
Town of Berlin, Vermont
Lynn Parah
Town Clerk
Franklin County, Vermont
Karin S Mott
Town Clerk
Middlebury, Vermont
Elizabeth Karle
Treasurer
Mount Holly, Vermont
Tim Arsenault
Town Clerk
Town of Vernon, Vermont
Ginger Chiesa
Director of Elections & General Registrar
Buckingham County, Virginia
Susan Reed
Director of Elections
Manassas City, Virginia
Colleen Rummel
Absentee Mail Coordinator
Prince William County, Virginia
Regina McRay
Elections Manager
Kitsap, Washington
Kim Alexander
President
California Voter Foundation
Dominic Arellano
Election Administration Master Student
Detroit, Michigan
Jennifer Cohen
Temple Sinai
Montgomery County, Maryland
Lynn Davis
Community Organizer
Tucson/Pima County, Arizona
Paul Gronke
Director of Early Voting Information Center and
Professor of Political Science
Reed College
Martha Kropf
Professor of Political Science and Interim Director
of Public Policy
University of North Carolina
Carolyn Kubitschek
American Voter
Brooklyn, New York
Amber McReynolds
Former Election Official
Colorado
Anne Mendoza
Elections Expert
York, Pennsylvania
Brian Michelson
Rabbi
Berks County, Pennsylvania
Jackie Wu
Former Election Official
Orange County, California
