U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION

633 3rd St. NW, Suite 200

Washington, DC 20001

House Committee on Appropriations

Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government

Election Assistance Commission Oversight Hearing

Chairman Benjamin Hovland

U.S. Election Assistance Commission

February 16, 2021

Thank you, Chairman Quigley, Ranking Member Womack, and members of the 

Subcommittee. I am Ben Hovland, Chairman of the United States Election Assistance 

Commission or EAC. I appreciate the Subcommittee’s invitation to testify on the work of the 

EAC and the impact of election security and pandemic response grants provided by Congress to 

the states.

The story of election administration in 2020 should not be told without acknowledging 

the tremendous job that state and local election officials did to run their elections while facing 

unprecedented challenges. With a record of nearly 160 million Americans voting in the 

November general election in the middle of a global pandemic, the effort required to conduct this 

election was herculean, and the officials who managed this task deserve our thanks and praise.

While politics and aftermath of the November election have distracted many from how 

the election was run, I can unequivocally say that this was the best administered election that I 

have seen in my career. There are many reasons for this success story, but first and foremost is 

that the public servants that run elections in cities and counties across this country put their 

personal health on the line; and worked countless hours for their voters and our democracy.

Federal grant money also played an essential role in assisting election officials with some 

of the challenges they faced. Since 2018, Congress has appropriated $805 million for election 

security. This has helped replace outdated and paperless voting machines; replace or harden 

statewide voter registration databases; create innovative new programs, like “cyber navigators,” 
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that address head-on some of the resource disparity challenges of our decentralized election 

system; and countless hours of training for staff to be on alert and prepare and respond to 

common attack vectors.

The critical impact of this funding, combined with the impressive efforts of state, local 

and federal partners, gave me complete confidence when joining the joint statement from the 

elections infrastructure government and sector coordinating executive committees that the 

“November 3rd election was the most secure in our nation’s history.”

Additionally, the $400 million provided as part of the CARES Act in April of 2020 

helped election officials address some of the additional costs associated with running both the 

largest mail or absentee ballot election most jurisdictions had ever experienced and making 

polling places as safe as possible for voters and election workers.

The EAC was proud of the work we did to distribute and administer these grants to the 

states and appreciate this committee’s trust in us to do the job. The recent funding increase to the 

EAC from Congress also increased our capacity to assist election officials during this 

challenging time.

From an all-time low operating budget of $7.95 million in FY19, the increase in FY20 

made for an exciting time at the EAC. We expanded the EAC workforce by hiring experts in 

important areas of our work, including numerous mission critical positions across departments. 

Throughout the 2020 primaries and general election, the EAC provided much-needed assistance 

to election officials. By chairing the elections infrastructure joint COVID-19 working group, we 

were able to leverage partnerships with state, local, and federal partners to quickly respond with 

guidance on the challenges presented by the pandemic. 
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We also developed new guidance, hosted public forums on pandemic-related concerns, 

and closely monitored innovative state preparations – encouraging election officials to share their 

successes and challenges. These efforts included dozens of educational videos and materials for 

election officials highlighting proven best practices, addressing specific concerns related to 

COVID-19, and the use of CARES Act funding. 

Other new efforts included creating the EAC’s new Cyber Access and Security Program, 

which provided security training, best practices, and other assistance for election officials tasked 

with protecting critical election infrastructure. The EAC also established the first ever National 

Poll Worker Recruitment Day, galvanizing national recruitment efforts and alleviating concerns 

about a significant shortage in poll workers due to the pandemic. 

While we acknowledge the successes of state and local officials to administer the 2020 

election, it is also clear that there is much work to be done. If the 2020 election has taught us 

anything, it is that our democracy is precious – we must invest in it to make it stronger, and we 

must constantly seek to improve it. As the Election Infrastructure Sector-Specific Plan notes, a 

“government-wide approach to funding elections and election security is needed. Viewing the 

Subsector as an ‘infrastructure’ of our democracy is important to understanding the need for 

consistent investment and maintenance to ensure the system is strong.” 

We appreciate your interest in the EAC’s ongoing efforts. With its limited resources, the 

EAC has helped assist state and local officials through this unprecedented time. But the job 

ahead requires the proper level of investment to ensure lasting success. The EAC is prepared to 

play an increased role in this pursuit, and we look forward to our continued partnership with the 

Subcommittee and with Congress. 
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Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee. I am happy to answer any 

questions that you may have.