DHS ties FEMA grants to state election security measures

The Department of Homeland Security is tying more than $1 billion in FEMA homeland-security grants to state election rules, threatening to hold back 20% of each award until recipients prove they have adopted new security measures. The conditions include using a federal system to verify voters’ citizenship and accepting hand-marked paper ballots, a shift that reaches every state, Tribal Nation, territory and local government seeking money under the Homeland Security Grant Program.

The grants were not originally designed as an election program, but FEMA will now withhold 20% of a recipient’s total award until compliance is shown. States and Urban Area Security Initiative recipients must submit certification and supporting documentation through FEMA’s Grant Outcomes system before the money is fully released.

Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin defended the move as necessary to preserve election integrity and public trust. The policy cites evolving threats from foreign interference and cyberattacks. Paper ballots and verification steps can improve auditability and help catch errors or malicious changes in voting systems, though the National Institute of Standards and Technology also recognizes the tension between verification and accessibility.

The White House removed the last three members of the Election Assistance Commission on July 9, 2026, leaving the independent bipartisan agency that was created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 heading into the 2026 midterms. Under that law, the commission’s four seats are supposed to be split so no more than two commissioners belong to the same party. At the same time, the Justice Department sent letters to all 50 states and the District of Columbia warning that election officials could face criminal prosecution if noncitizens remain on voter rolls.

House Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee called the FEMA guidance potentially illegal. Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read called the move an attempt to seize control of free, fair elections and said the Constitution leaves elections to the states.