WASHINGTON, D.C.—The House yesterday passed the Securing America’s Federal Elections (SAFE) Act to protect our nation’s voting systems and strengthen its defense against foreign attacks.
“Arizona voters should trust that their vote will be counted and that our elections are fair,” said Rep. Greg Stanton. “The SAFE Act will help states modernize and secure their voting systems, so we can be confident that every vote gets counted and our elections are protected from foreign interference.”
H.R. 2722, the SAFE Act, provides funding for states to replace outdated and vulnerable voting equipment, requires paper ballots, and takes additional steps to defend against foreign interference in our elections. The bill also mandates strict cybersecurity requirements for both election technology vendors and for voting systems. It builds on the important election reforms that were included in H.R. 1, the For the People Act.
In a press conference last month, Special Counsel Robert Mueller reported on Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, said “there were multiple, systematic efforts to interfere in our election. That allegation deserves the attention of every American.”
Specifically, the SAFE Act:
- Authorizes $600 million in Voting System Security Improvement Grants for states to modernize and secure their election infrastructure. The initial $600 million has been included in the House version of the FY 2020 Financial Services and General Government Appropriations bill, which the House passed this week.
- 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 elections from manipulation.
- Requires states to conduct post-election audits to ensure election integrity.
- Sets strict cybersecurity standards for both election technology vendors and voting systems.
- Creates a “qualified election infrastructure vendor” designation to foster accountability for election technology vendors.
- Bans Internet accessibility or connectivity for devices on which ballots are marked or counted.
- Requires voting machines to be manufactured in the United States.
The SAFE Act is supported by numerous organizations, including Common Cause, People for the American Way, End Citizens United Action Fund, Network Lobby for Catholic Social Justice, NAACP, and Public Citizen.