Note: This story was updated on Sept. 23 to correct the amount the federal government might commit in election security grant funding.
One of the most critical challenges the United States faces in the days ahead is restoring faith in institutions that traditionally have been trusted by the people in our democratic republic.
But make no mistake about it, the one tradition that truly makes our country exceptional is that we hold free and fair elections (not perfect but free and fair) and accept the results, allowing a peaceful transfer of power without a military coup or widespread violence. In the last two national election cycles, we have seen intentional and misleading efforts to erode trust in election outcomes. As patriots, we must do all we can to restore this trust once again.
A major hurdle in restoring trust is that under our Constitution, our elections are carried out by our fellow citizens at the state and local level.
State legislatures across the nation are divided in their response to a more consistent and effective way of conducting our 50 separate and diverse election programs.