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Larson Votes to Secure Elections

June 27, 2019

Washington, D.C. – Today, Rep. John B. Larson (CT-01) voted to strengthen our nation's election infrastructure and protect our elections from foreign interference. The House today passed H.R. 2722, the Securing America's Federal Elections (SAFE) Act of 2019. This legislation would provide states with funding to update vulnerable and outdated voting equipment, require paper ballots, and set strict cybersecurity requirements.

"It is our patriotic duty to ensure our most basic democratic processes are secure. Without a doubt, Russia interfered with our elections in 2016 and we should be doing everything we can to ensure that cannot happen again. I am proud to vote for this bill that updates our election security and protects against foreign interference, and I urge the Senate's swift passage," said Larson.

This bill:

  • Authorizes $600 million in Voting System Security Improvement Grants for states to modernize and secure their election infrastructure. (The initial $600 million is being appropriated by the FY 2020 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, which the House passed today.)
  • Authorizes $175 million every two years to states to maintain the state's election infrastructure.
  • Mandates that voting systems use individual, durable, voter-verified paper ballots – a widely agreed upon reform to protect our elections from manipulation.
  • Requires states to conduct post-election risk-limiting audits to ensure election integrity; whether it is a programming error or a cyber-attack, these audits help detect inaccuracies.
  • Sets strict cybersecurity standards for both election technology vendors and for voting systems.
  • Fosters accountability for election technology vendors, creating a "qualified election infrastructure vendor" designation.
  • Bans Internet accessibility or connectivity for devices on which ballots are marked or counted.
  • Requires voting machines to be manufactured in the United States.

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