Federal presidential campaign fund would be scrapped to pay for election security upgrades

What does this do?

HR 7418, the STEADFAST Act, would permanently shut down the Presidential Election Campaign Fund, which currently lets taxpayers direct $3 of their taxes to presidential candidates. The money in that fund, including any leftover balance, would instead be distributed as grants to states, territories, and Washington D.C. to pay for voting equipment upgrades, cybersecurity improvements, paper ballots, and physical security for election infrastructure.

Who does it affect?

The bill affects all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Guam, Washington D.C., election administrators, voting equipment vendors, and taxpayers who previously used the presidential campaign checkoff on their tax returns. Grants would be administered through the Election Assistance Commission.

Why does it matter?

States meeting specific conditions — use of paper ballots with a verifiable trail, photo ID requirements, and use of federal databases to screen non-citizen registrations — would receive higher priority for grants than states that do not meet those conditions. Vendors previously approved to work on elections and those with prior campaign donation ties would face different eligibility rules, shaping which companies can access the new program.

What does it cost, and who pays?

• Funding source: existing campaign fund
• Grant size tied to registered voter count
• No new taxpayer money created

Where does it stand?