Democracy For America
Congress just released a budget bill that provides only $15 million for election administration in 2026 -- less than $300,000 per state. That’s a devastating cut compared to the $825 million allocated in 2020, when lawmakers recognized the urgent need to safeguard our democracy. Elections are the mechanism by which the people hold leaders accountable. Without proper funding, that mechanism breaks down.
Voting rights are the bedrock of a functioning democracy. But across the country, outdated voting machines are still in use -- some decades old -- leaving elections vulnerable to breakdowns, errors, and cyberattacks. At the same time, election workers are fighting an uphill battle against rampant disinformation and sophisticated AI-driven deception that erodes public trust.
Yet instead of supporting the guardians of democracy, the GOP Congress is drastically cutting the available resources. At the same time, new restrictive voting laws are making it harder for many Americans -- especially communities of color, students, and young voters -- to access the ballot box.
Underfunding elections only deepens these barriers, ensuring that inequality in access becomes baked into the system itself. And because federal support is shrinking, funding disparities are left to local tax bases, meaning rural and low-income communities are hit hardest. That is not how a healthy democracy functions.
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