Federal funding for election administration would get a massive boost — $2.5 billion per year for ten years — through a new trust fund and grant program for states. States would use the money to upgrade voting equipment, strengthen cybersecurity, expand early and mail-in voting, recruit and protect poll workers, and increase voting access for underserved communities, people with disabilities, and voters on tribal lands. To receive funding, states must submit plans showing how they’ll spend it, including how they’ll address geographic and racial disparities. The bill explicitly bars states from using the money for voter intimidation, unreliable voter roll purges, or buying voting machines that don’t produce paper ballots. If a state refuses to submit a plan, the money flows directly to local election offices instead. A new independent federal office — the Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation — would oversee the program and handle complaints.
Congressional Summary
Sustaining Our Democracy ActThis bill establishes and provides funds through FY2035 for the State Election Assistance and Innovation Trust Fund for purposes of promoting election activities.Specifically, the bill establishes the Democracy Advancement and Innovation Program, through which the Office of Democracy Advancement and Innovation (also established by this bill) shall make allocations to states for carrying out democracy promotion activities. These activities include improving the administration of federal elections, recruiting and training nonpartisan election officials and poll workers, and increasing voting access.The bill requires each state, in order to receive allocated funds, to (1) submit a plan for approval that describes how the state will distribute resources and carry out democracy promotion activities, and (2) establish uniform and nondiscriminatory state-based administrative complaint procedures.The bill prohibits states from using funds for certain activities, including any activity that diminishes the ability of any eligible voter to participate in the electoral process.
Details
- Congress
- 119th
- Chamber
- House
- Status
- summarized
- Action
- Introduced in House
- Action Date
- 2025-08-05
- Date Added
- 2026-04-06