Two Democrats tasked with overseeing federal elections are asking why the Trump administration hasn’t distributed money to protect state and local elections as directed by Congress.
Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Rep. Joseph Morelle of New York authored a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and the acting head of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Nick Anderson, to demand they restore over $39.6 million in funds to a range of specific election security efforts as legislated in the fiscal year 2026 DHS Appropriations bill passed in April.
“With the midterm elections occurring in two months, we write with grave concern that time is running out … to assist state and local election officials in protecting our elections from cyber and mis-and disinformation threats,” the lawmakers wrote.
The Funding Gap
Padilla is the ranking member of the Senate Rules Committee and Morelle is the ranking member on the Committee on House Administration. The authors specifically pointed to gaps in funding for the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
The center had been a free, voluntary resource for state, local, tribal, and territorial election office employees to receive the latest intelligence on how bad actors are targeting election infrastructure. After funding cuts in March 2025, the center was only able to provide limited services through a paid membership model, something “under-resourced communities” cannot afford, Padilla and Morelle wrote.
The Threat Landscape
Major concern over foreign election meddling spiked during the 2016 presidential election when the US intelligence community concluded that Russia was trying to interfere. The threat has only grown in complexity, as other foreign adversaries, including Iran, have ramped up efforts to undermine confidence in the American electoral system
The lawmakers argue the need is particularly urgent, given ongoing conflicts the US is embroiled in, the rapid increase in cyberattacks targeting American critical infrastructure, as well as rapidly advancing artificial intelligence models that are uncovering vulnerabilities in code faster than ever before.
“This is particularly disturbing at a time when our nation is at war with the Republic of Iran, which has reportedly engaged in sophisticated cybersecurity attacks,” they wrote. “Russia, China, and other foreign and non-state actors also have significant cyber and online election interference capabilities, which are likely increasing with advances in artificial intelligence.”The Administration’s Record
The Trump administration has historically focused on election security as a political issue. Trump has dedicated a significant chunk of federal resources to attempt to cast doubt on the intelligence community’s 2016 assessments and prove his false claims of election fraud in 2020.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration has slashed federal funding for election security programs and cut a range of federal jobs focused on the issue, including at DHS’s CISA. Padilla and Morelle cite “the removal of hundreds of CISA personnel and attempts by the Trump administration to slash the agency’s budget” as a major concern.
State-Level Concerns
Adrian Fontes, who, as the secretary of state of Arizona, is one of the local officials who would be impacted by losing funding for election security, gave a blunt assessment to NPR.
“DHS is actively sabotaging elections by not funding these programs,” Fontes said. “Their failures mirror that of the administration pushing USPS to implement a rule that would sabotage mail voting.”
However, Fontes says he believes states will rise to the challenge. “I remain confident that states will carry out safe, secure, and accessible elections for every eligible voter, despite the loss in federal support,” he said. “This moment will serve as a reminder that states hold the power over election administration.”
The Bottom Line
Two Democratic lawmakers are demanding that DHS restore $39.6 million in election security funding ahead of the November midterms. They warn that time is running out to protect state and local elections from cyber and disinformation threats. The Trump administration has cut funding and personnel at CISA, raising concerns among election officials. Arizona’s secretary of state accused DHS of “actively sabotaging elections.”
