ii). r . U.S. ELECTION ASSISTANCE COMMISSION 

1335 EAST-WEST HIGHWAY, SUITE 4300 .;,, SILVER SPRING, MD 20910

U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary 

"Securing America's Elections Part II: Oversight of Government Agencies" 

October 22, 2019 

Ben Hovland, Vice Chair 

United States Election Assistance Commission (EAC) 

Good morning Chairman Nadler, Ranking Member Collins, and Members of the Committee. I 

thank you for the opportunity to testify before you this morning to detail the work of the U.S. 

Election Assistance Commission, better known as the EAC, to fulfill its mission under the Help 

America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). I also appreciate this opportunity to highlight the great 

work of state and local election officials around the country. 

As you know, our nation's elections are run at the state and local levels, with the each of the 50 

states and the U.S. territories running elections in different ways. Election officials in over 8,000 

local jurisdictions are ultimately responsible for conducting our elections, and their work truly 

protects and ensures the most fundamental pillar of our democracy - the vote. 

Since 2016, there has been an enormous increase in focus on the security of our elections, which 

is just one of the many responsibilities election officials must address. 1 am pleased to report that, 

from my vantage point, the elections community has responded in an impressive fashion 

considering the challenges we face. Nearly every conference I attend while travelling around the 

country has a substantial focus on security, and protecting the integrity of elections is a constant 

topic in meetings with election administrators, our federal partners, and external stakeholders. 

The consideration, time and treasure devoted to this serious issue is as persistent and relentless as 

the threats we face. Even so, we need to ask ourselves a key question: Will that be enough if 

election officials do not have the sustained resources they need to defend our democracy against 

potential threats? 

The good news is that following the Department of Homeland Security's designation of election 

infrastructure as critical infrastructure, there has been a sea change in information sharing 

between the federal government and state and local officials. This includes the creation of a 

Government Coordinating Council, which brings together state and local officials with federal 

partners, as well as a Sector Coordinating Council, which has helped organized private-sector 

vendors and non-profit entities that support local election officials. We have also seen the 

creation of the Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center (or EI-ISAC), 

which now has nearly 2000 members, including every state chief election official's office. 

The deployment of Albert monitors, hardening of systems, increased trainings and promotion of 

table-top exercises around cyber events have all exponentially increased since 2016. The FY 

2018 appropriation of $380 Million HAVA funding, which the EAC distributed within months of 

its allocation, has largely contributed to these improvements. It doesn't cover everything election 

Tel: (301) 563-3919 www.eac.gov Fax: (301) 734-3108 

Toll free: 1 (866) 747-1471 
officials need, but states have had the ability to essentially choose from a menu of reforms, 

improvements, and priorities that could address their most pressing needs and vulnerabilities. 

As Chairwoman McCormick testified earlier this year, the EAC projects that 85% of the FY 

2018 money will be spent in advance of 2020. We have seen some states use the funding to 

replace aging or paperless equipment. Other states have replaced their statewide voter 

registration database or added additional security measures like multi-factor authentication. 

Some have hosted essential training and tabletop exercises ahead of 2020 to give election 

officials "hands on" experience that can help them prepare for various threats. 

One of my personal favorite uses of the FY2018 funding is the implementation of "cyber 

navigator" programs. Essentially, the state recognizes that many local jurisdictions do not have 

the capacity or need for a full-time election cybersecurity expert, so the state employs individuals 

with regional responsibilities and they provide technical assistance to several counties or 

municipalities. This is the kind of innovative program that will help bolster our cybersecurity 

defenses and improve how states conduct elections. It's also a model that the EAC would like to 

help amplify nationwide should our own funding support such an effort. 

Unfortunately, not all of the news is good. As you all know, the threat of foreign adversaries 

remains real and, ultimately, our state and local election officials do not have the resources to 

thwart a truly determined and sophisticated nation-state actor. That is why we must take action to 

build resilience here at home and implement policies that deter adversaries abroad, such as a real 

sanctions regime. 

Additional funding is crucial to allow states to continue to make necessary improvements that 

increase the strength and resiliency of our election systems. When we talk about election 

administration, we are talking about the infrastructure of our democracy. To make meaningful 

and lasting change requires a consistent investment over time. It cannot just be about 2020 or any 

one election, but about all of our elections going forward. 

During a Senate Rules Committee hearing in May, I shared a recent discovery that the EAC's 

operating budget of $7.95 million dollars is less than the amount Kansas City spends on 

potholes. It is startling to think that one city with a population of around 500,000 people invests 

more to protect its residents' car tires and alignment than our country invests in the only federal 

agency dedicated completely to improving election administration and helping more than 200 

million registered voters cast their ballot. 

I thank you for your time and am happy to answer any questions you may have. 

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