Trump administration plans to use homeland security funds to force states into election changes

The Trump administration is threatening to withhold tens of millions of dollars in federal homeland security funds from states unless they agree to sweeping election changes, according to multiple sources and internal documents obtained by CNN.

The move is part of President Donald Trump’s campaign to root out claims of voter fraud and exert more federal influence over how elections are conducted, despite research showing it is much rarer than claimed. Occurs because more than one state passes laws try to prevent Federal government interference in elections.

Under new rules governing various homeland security grant programs, states must take a series of steps, including phasing out certain electronic voting systems and switching to hand-marked paper ballots. They also must run their voter rolls through a controversial Department of Homeland Security. citizenship verification database.

Otherwise, states will lose some funding from DHS. These grants, expected to total more than $1 billion in the current fiscal year, constitute one of Washington’s main tools to help state and local governments prevent terrorism, protect infrastructure and prepare for major disasters.

For years, the DHS grants that states applied for required that at least 3 percent of the funds be spent on election security overall. But the new rules, obtained by CNN and expected to be delivered to states later this month, impose a series of mandatory reforms and harsh penalties for failure to comply. States that refuse will lose 20 percent of the grant money, potentially millions of dollars in security funds.

“No changes to grant requirements or funding distributions are considered official unless formally announced and released through appropriate, authorized agency channels,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement, adding that the administration views election security as a key national security priority.

“Anyone who benefits from federal funding should expect accountability for how taxpayer dollars are spent,” the spokesperson said.

The gambit fits into Trump’s broader playbook: Using federal funds as leverage to pressure states to adopt policies that align with his agenda. The administration has taken similar steps to punish states for their immigration policies and diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Courts have blocked some of these efforts, and the effort may soon face legal challenges.

Trump’s attempts to unilaterally overhaul how the election will be conducted through executive orders and demands for sensitive voter data have also run into legal hurdles. The Constitution gives states control over the administration of the vote. Courts have found that Congress can pass election regulations, but the president has very limited authority to force election rule changes on his own.

“I expect the new requirements to be blocked in the courts,” said David Becker, a former Justice Department attorney who now advises election officials.

The new powers target several foundations of state election administration and oversight. It requires states to conduct manual election audits using methods established by the Trump administration and use an approved government system to verify the citizenship of any person working at a polling place.

States also must submit a plan to phase out voting systems that do not use paper ballots that voters can hand-mark and are tabulated during elections.

Most jurisdictions currently offer hand-marked paper ballots. But about 30 percent of the nation’s voters live in places that rely entirely on ballot-marking devices (machines that record a voter’s preferences and print paper ballots for counting) or direct recording systems that store votes electronically.

Places that will be forced to switch under the new rules include Delaware, Georgia, Nevada and South Carolina, as well as Los Angeles County.

The grant terms also require states to run all voter rolls through SAVE, or Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, a tool used to identify potential noncitizen voters. Critics say the DHS system is flawed because it can produce fake matches and mistakenly flag eligible voters for removal.

Many states already use SAVE to review voter rolls. Others refused. The Justice Department sued 30 states for refusing to turn over voter rolls for federal auditing using the system.

Homeland security grants have already become a tool for the administration to pressure states to comply with the president’s policy goals. Last year officials tried to keep the money unless states submit updated censuses that reflect the administration’s mass deportation campaign, but several states have sued and a court has blocked the policy.

The election changes Trump is seeking could be extremely expensive for states. For example, the nationwide cost of upgrading election equipment to comply with voluntary voting standards is estimated at $2.7 billion.

In Georgia, where the state legislature also passed a law requiring hand-marked paper ballots, Republican Secretary of State Raffensperger estimated it would cost $66 million.

The new grant plan raises the bar by leveraging a much larger portion of the homeland security fund. However, the cost of complying may ultimately be even higher than the total amount charged to a state; however, the grant guidelines state that states may request additional funding to help implement these changes.

This article has been updated with additional details.

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