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AP19:100

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 16, 2019
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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla Statement on Allocation by Congress of $425 Million to Election Security

SACRAMENTO, CA - California Secretary of State Alex Padilla issued the following statement in response to Congress approving $425 million in election security funding for states.

“The defense of our nation’s elections must be a top priority for federal, state, and local governments. Our elections have been and will continue to be a target for bad actors, both foreign and domestic, who seek to disrupt and undermine public confidence in our electoral process. I applaud the inclusion of $425 million by Congress in election security funding in the new spending agreement, which adds a much needed, but still insufficient, boost to ballot security across the country.

“State and local elections officials need consistent, ongoing support to make the necessary upgrades to our critical election infrastructure, train personnel, and implement cybersecurity best practices. If we truly value our democracy and believe the integrity of our elections is a matter of national security, then we must commit ongoing funding for election security and administration.

“In addition to funding, Congress should also seize the opportunity to make the proven best practices for election security the national standard, which would require paper ballots with a voter verified paper audit trail and post-election audits of election results. These practices have served California well for many years and represent a proven framework for securing elections and for improving voter confidence.

“Today’s allocation of election security funding to states is a helpful step in better securing our free and fair elections, but we have a collective duty to every voter in America to do more to defend our democracy.”

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