Private Funding for Election Administration (CRS Report for Congress)
| Release Date |
Sept. 26, 2023 |
| Report Number |
IF12501 |
| Report Type |
In Focus |
| Authors |
Karen L. Shanton |
| Source Agency |
Congressional Research Service |
Summary:
State and local election offices sometimes receive private
donations of money, goods, or services to help them carry
out their work. Following the onset of the Coronavirus
Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the 2020 election
cycle, private individuals funded grant programs for state
and local election administration that were particularly
notable in their scale and sources. Those grant programs—
and the role of private funding in election administration in
general—have been subjects of congressional interest in
subsequent Congresses, including in hearings and
legislation in the 118th Congress.
This In Focus offers an overview of private funding for
election administration. It starts by providing some
background on funding for election administration in
general and the role of private funding in the 2020 election
cycle. It then describes some proposals from Members of
Congress and federal agency officials for responding to
private involvement in funding elections.
