New Polling and Ads Show Strong Support for Federal Investment in State and Local Election Departments
Bipartisan Majority of Voters Support Federal Investment in Local Election Departments so Basic Tools like Voting Equipment, Secure Internet, and Cybersecurity Systems Can be Purchased
CHICAGO -- The Election Infrastructure Initiative has released new national polling, state-based polling and targeted digital ads in Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, Utah and West Virginia showing bipartisan support for federal funding of state and local election departments.
The national survey from Data for Progress found 69 percent of likely voters nationally agree that lawmakers should invest in election infrastructure to give election officials the resources to make voting accessible and secure. Support was strong across all parties, with 69 percent of Republicans supporting investments.
The polling found strong support from voters for Congress to allocate funding so that their local election departments have the basic tools -- including secure internet access (76 percent), at least one permanent employee (58 percent), physical and cybersecurity systems (76 percent), reliable voting machines (70 percent) and mail equipment (60 percent). View the polling memo here.
“What we have heard from local election officials is that costs are increasing across the board, from cyber security to old-fashioned paper ballots and postage,” said Tiana Epps-Johnson, executive director for the Center for Tech and Civic Life. “As costs and the demands on local election departments increase, I’m glad to see a bipartisan majority of voters agrees with us that Congress has a role to play in funding state and local election offices so that all voters can experience a safe, secure, and inclusive election in 2022 and beyond.”
Based on the polling, digital ads will be combined with print ads and appear on a variety of platforms, including local print newspapers, Facebook/Instagram, YouTube, Hulu, Roku and Pandora in Arizona, Maine, North Carolina, Utah and West Virginia.
The Election Infrastructure Initiative (EII) – which includes the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL) and Center for Secure and Modern Elections (CSME) — has estimated election funding needs at $53 billion over 10 years. That includes $49.3 billion needed for election administration and operations, $1.8 billion needed to replace antiquated voting machines, $935 million needed to update statewide voter registration systems, $256 million to bolster post-election audits and $999 million for cybersecurity improvements and maintenance.
The Washington Post recently reported, “Election officials and voting experts are now warning as the midterm elections get underway that new funding is needed to avoid significant problems in November.” Additionally, according to the Associated Press, many election departments are still running elections on outdated Windows 7 software — a consequence of the chronic lack of consistent funding.
Previously, a bipartisan group of state and local officials from around the country called on Congress to allocate $20 billion in funding to local and state election administrators for secure election infrastructure over the next 10 years.
The Center for Tech and Civic Life is a nonpartisan nonprofit harnessing the promise of technology to modernize the American voting experience. We connect Americans with the information they need to become and remain civically engaged, and ensure that our elections are more professional, inclusive, and secure.
The Center for Secure and Modern Elections is dedicated to advancing pro-voter policies at the state level that modernize the voting process and ensure that every American, whether they are Republican, Democrat, or Independent, can have their voice heard.
Contact: press@techandciviclife.org