HR7418-119

What This Bill Does

The STEADFAST Act replaces the federal presidential campaign public-financing structure with a new election-security grant structure. It creates an Election Security Program and Fund in the Internal Revenue Code and directs the Election Assistance Commission to make payments to eligible states for federal-election security activities, including voting equipment, voting-system cybersecurity, physical security for equipment storage, voting-system modernization, paper ballots, paper-ballot security features, and electronic poll book protection.

States must apply to the Election Assistance Commission, submit a spending plan, certify that they do not permit noncitizens to vote in public elections, and report publicly on how grant money is spent. States may use certified qualified vendors only, and EAC may not certify a vendor that directly provided election-administration funding to a state or local government. EAC must prioritize states using voter-verifiable paper ballots, noncitizen-registration checks such as SAVE or Social Security Number Verification Service resources, and polling-place photo identification.

The bill creates an Election Security Fund at Treasury. Individual taxpayer designations under section 6096 would be transferred to that fund, and the fund receives a matching appropriation equal to the designated amounts. EAC may use up to 5 percent of the fund for administration and must publish public information on the program within 180 days. The bill also terminates public financing for future presidential elections, nominating conventions, and candidates after enactment.

Who Benefits and How

State election offices benefit because eligible states can receive federal payments for voting equipment, cybersecurity, physical security, paper ballots, and electronic poll book protection. Election Assistance Commission staff benefit from clear authority to run the grant program and certify qualified vendors. Qualified election technology vendors benefit because states using grants must use EAC-certified vendors. Voters in states receiving grants benefit from upgraded voting systems, paper ballot protections, and cybersecurity investments. Treasury election-security fund staff benefit from a statutory account for income-tax designations. Election-integrity advocates benefit because grant priority is tied to voter-verifiable paper ballots, noncitizen checks, and photo identification.

Who Bears the Burden and How

State election offices must prepare applications, certify noncitizen-voting rules, file reports with EAC, maintain public spending reports, and follow use restrictions. Election Assistance Commission staff must operate the program, set application requirements, certify vendors within 90 days, prioritize states, publish public information, and monitor reports. Secretary of the Treasury staff must transfer taxpayer-designated amounts and administer the Election Security Fund. Presidential public-financing candidates lose access to future campaign public-financing payments. Election vendors that funded state or local election administration cannot be certified as qualified vendors for the grant program. States that spend money on litigation, judgments, or non-equipment administrator training cannot charge those costs to the grant.

Key Provisions

• Creates an Election Assistance Commission payment program for state election-security activities.
• Requires state applications with spending plans, noncitizen-voting certifications, and spending reports.
• Authorizes grant uses for voting equipment, cybersecurity, physical security, voting-system modernization, paper ballots, and electronic poll books.
• Prohibits grant spending on most election-administrator training, litigation costs, and judgments.
• Requires Election Assistance Commission certification of qualified election vendors.
• Establishes the Election Security Fund at Treasury and transfers income-tax designations to that fund.
• Requires public program information on the EAC website within 180 days.
• Terminates future presidential election public-financing programs.