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Secretary of State Padilla Statement on House Committee Vote to Eliminate Election Assistance Commission

SACRAMENTO – Today the House Administration Committee voted 6-3 for H.R.634 the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) Termination Act. California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement in response. 

"The House Administration Committee’s vote today to eliminate the Election Assistance Commission will deprive state and local elections officials across the country of important resources at a time when more, not less, support for our elections is needed.  It is particularly disconcerting at a time when our nation has experienced unprecedented Russian interference in our presidential election and false allegations of voter fraud by the U.S. President himself. 

The Election Assistance Commission provides guidance on compliance with the Help America Vote Act; adopts rigorous standards for testing voting systems; accredits testing laboratories and certifies voting systems to help secure our elections; and serves as a clearinghouse for election administration best practices and defects with voting systems. The Election Assistance Commission’s work developing standards are essential if our goal is to avoid returning to the days of hanging chads. 

The federal government has not invested in voting systems in over a decade, leaving many elections officials searching for rare parts to maintain aging equipment. An independent, bipartisan Election Assistance Commission is needed now more than ever to ensure that elections officials have the tools and resources they need to protect the integrity of our elections. 

Simply put, efforts to undermine the Election Assistance Commission undermine our elections." 

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