Trump Admin Ties Security Funds to Election Changes
States that don't rewrite their election rules could lose federal security money.
That's the threat at the center of new documents the Trump administration is preparing to send to states later this month.
What the New Rules Actually Require
CNN obtained internal documents showing the administration plans to withhold tens of millions of dollars in homeland security funds from states that don't adopt a specific set of election changes.
States would need to phase out certain electronic voting systems in favor of hand-marked paper ballots.
They would also be required to run voter rolls through a Department of Homeland Security citizenship verification database, a tool already drawing criticism over its accuracy and data security.
States that refuse would lose 20% of their homeland security grant money — funding that totals more than $1 billion nationally this fiscal year and helps states prevent terrorism, protect infrastructure, and prepare for disasters.
📰 Related: Trust in US Federal Government Hits Record Low
Why This Could Cost States More Than They'd Lose
The financial math here runs in an unusual direction.
CNN reported the nationwide cost of upgrading election equipment to meet the administration's preferred voting standards has been estimated at $2.7 billion.
In Georgia alone, where the state legislature separately passed a law requiring hand-marked paper ballots, the Republican Secretary of State has estimated compliance will cost $66 million.
That means a state could lose a smaller amount in withheld grant funding while facing a much larger compliance bill — though the new guidelines do allow states to apply for additional funding specifically to help cover implementation costs.
📰 Related: Bank of England Holds Rates as Iran Peace Deal Lifts Hopes
A Pattern That Predates This Specific Threat
This isn't the administration's first attempt to use federal leverage to reshape how states run elections.
President Trump's March 25 executive order on voting, much of which courts have already paused, directed a similar restructuring of election security requirements tied to the same homeland security grant program.
Voting officials told NPR in earlier reporting that the previous round of changes effectively made roughly $28 million in election security funding inaccessible for most of the country, since many states couldn't or wouldn't meet the new conditions in time.
Maine's Secretary of State, Shenna Bellows, said at the time that the changes amounted to backdoor election law changes the state found unacceptable, and Maine ultimately forfeited roughly $130,000 in grant money rather than comply.
📰 Related: Trump's $200M White House Ballroom Faces New Hurdles
The Legal Wall This Plan Will Likely Run Into
Multiple legal experts say this latest push is likely to face the same fate as the administration's earlier election directives.
The US Constitution gives states, not the federal government, control over how elections are administered. Congress can pass election-related regulations, but courts have repeatedly found that a president has very limited unilateral power to force election rule changes.
David Becker, a former Justice Department lawyer who now advises election officials, said he expects the new requirements to be blocked in court, echoing the outcome of several of Trump's prior attempts to overhaul election administration through executive action.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said no changes to grant requirements or funding distributions are official until formally announced and published through authorized agency channels — leaving open exactly when, or whether, this specific plan moves forward as described in the documents CNN obtained.
Key Takeaways
- The Trump administration plans to withhold tens of millions of dollars in homeland security funds from states that don't adopt new election requirements.
- States would need to phase out certain electronic voting systems and adopt a DHS citizenship verification database.
- Non-compliant states would lose 20% of their grant funding, out of a national pool exceeding $1 billion this fiscal year.
- The nationwide cost of compliance has been estimated at $2.7 billion, far exceeding what most states would lose in withheld funds.
- This follows an earlier executive order on voting, much of which courts have already paused.
- Legal experts, including former DOJ lawyer David Becker, expect the new requirements to be blocked in court.
Sources
Also Read
You might also like
Politics & World News Editor
James Mitchell has covered US and UK politics for over a decade, with a focus on elections, foreign policy, and Capitol Hill. He breaks down complex political stories into clear, fast analysis.
