Trump DHS Threatens to Cut Federal Funds for States Refusing Voter-Roll Security Push

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Markwayne Mullin announced on the 17th (local time) that the Donald Trump administration will halt federal election grant funding for states that refuse to comply with its election security requirements. The announcement comes just after President Trump stated in a speech to the nation the previous day that he would declassify information regarding vulnerabilities related to hacking and foreign interference.

Secretary Mullin is collaborating with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to develop election security requirements, planning to tie eligibility for federal election grants and FEMA homeland security grants to compliance with these measures. Mullin warned that election officials who ignore information provided by the DHS could face liability, including fines, penalties, or imprisonment.

Currently, 23 states participate in the DHS’s expanded SAVE program, which allows for the comparison of voter records with federal immigration data, and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) is expected to release updated election infrastructure plans within 30 days.