Trump Administration Links Terrorism Grants to State Election Security

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced on July 10, 2026, that states must implement specific election security measures to qualify for approximately $1.1 billion in preparedness and antiterrorism grants. Under the new policy, the agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency will withhold 20% of award funds from states that fail to comply. Requirements include transitioning from QR codes or barcodes to hand-marked paper ballots, conducting manual audits of at least 5% of federal election ballots, and using the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) database to verify the citizenship of voters and election workers.

These mandates are part of a broader effort by President Donald Trump to modify election practices four months before the midterm elections. Simultaneously, the U.S. Department of Justice warned election administrators in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that they could face criminal charges for knowingly allowing noncitizens to vote or remain on rolls. Trump also fired the final three members of the Election Assistance Commission and blocked a bipartisan housing bill to pressure Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.

The administration's efforts have faced significant legal challenges. Federal courts have rejected attempts to obtain sensitive voter records from Georgia, New Hampshire, and Pennsylvania. Additionally, a federal court ruled that an executive order aimed at creating a federal list of eligible voters was unconstitutional, blocking a related U.S. Postal Service rule to restrict mail-in ballot delivery. In response, Senator Angus King co-sponsored the Right to Vote Act to establish federal voting rights protections.