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States Tapping $210 Million in U.S. Funds for Election Security

States Tapping $210 Million in U.S. Funds for Election Security

(Bloomberg) -- More than two-dozen U.S. states are receiving federal dollars to boost their election security ahead of the November midterms.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission said Tuesday that 26 states have requested $210 million from the federal government in election security grants. Earlier this year, the omnibus spending package set aside $380 million for states to better protect their voting systems.

“This steady stream of funding requests from the states demonstrates an undeniable recognition that this money can have a tangible and immediate impact on the efficiency, security and accessibility of our nation’s elections systems,” Thomas Hicks, chairman of the election commission, said in a statement.

The commission expects the remaining states will submit their funding requests by mid-July, Hicks said. Texas is receiving $23 million, while New York will get almost $19.5 million and Florida $19 million. States are required to provide a five-percent match to the federal funds.

Some states are using the money to buy new equipment, but it’s still not enough to replace all the country’s aging voting machines as intelligence officials warn the midterms could be a target for Russian meddling.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nafeesa Syeed in Washington at nsyeed@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Bill Faries at wfaries@bloomberg.net

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