**U.S. Election Assistance Commission**

**Funding Advisory Opinion**

**FAO-08-002**

**Requestor:**

U.S. Virgin Islands (AOR-08-002)

**Question:**

Will the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) waive the requirement for
the appropriation of matching funds, contained in Section 253 (b) (5) of
the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), for the Virgin Islands to receive its
fiscal year 2008 requirements payment authorized by Section 251 of HAVA?
The waiver is provided for in Title 48 Section 1469 a (d) of the United
States Code.[^1]

**Determination:**

Title 48 Section 1469 a (d) says "Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, in the case of American Samoa, Guam, the Virgin Islands and the
Northern Mariana Islands any department or agency shall waive any
requirement for local matching funds under \$200,000 (including in-kind
contributions) required by law to be provided by American Samoa, Guam,
the Virgin Islands, or the Northern Mariana Islands."

Even with the new allocation of HAVA funds and the corresponding
matching requirement, the Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa
continue to be under the maximum \$200,000 in matching funds that can be
waived pursuant to 48 U.S.C. 1469a. See *Figure 1.* EAC, therefore, will
not require these jurisdictions to appropriate and deposit in their
respective election funds the matching requirement for the 2008 Section
251 payments.

+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
| **      |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| *Figure |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| 1**\--  |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| List of |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| Cum     |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| ulative |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| Section |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| 251     |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| P       |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| ayments |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| and     |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| Ass     |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| ociated |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| M       |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| atching |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| Requir  |         |         |         |         |        |         |
| ements* |         |         |         |         |        |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
|         | *       |         | *       |         | **Am   |         |
|         | *Virgin |         | *Guam** |         | erican |         |
|         | Is      |         |         |         | S      |         |
|         | lands** |         |         |         | amoa** |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
| Desc    | Section | M       | Section | M       | S      | M       |
| ription | 251     | atching | 251     | atching | ection | atching |
|         |         | Requ    | P       | Requ    | 251    | Requ    |
|         | P       | irement | ayments | irement | Pa     | irement |
|         | ayments |         |         |         | yments |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
|         |         |         |         |         |        |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
| ●       | \$2,    | \$      | \$2,    | \$      | \$2,3  | \$      |
| 20      | 319,361 | 122,072 | 319,361 | 122,072 | 19,361 | 122,072 |
| 03/2004 |         |         |         |         |        |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
|         |         |         |         |         |        |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
| ● 2008  | 115,000 | 6,053   | 115,000 | 6,053   | 1      | 6,053   |
|         |         |         |         |         | 15,000 |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
|         |         |         |         |         |        |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+
| Totals  | 2,      | 128,125 | 2,      | 128,125 | 2,4    | 128,125 |
|         | 434,361 |         | 434,361 |         | 34,361 |         |
+---------+---------+---------+---------+---------+--------+---------+

[^1]: The waiver is also applicable to Guam and American Samoa.