It’s common for many of us in West Virginia to roll our eyes at the noise in Congress. And the start of this year has already seen plenty of jockeying. But after two years of a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, the consequences are becoming clear – but not for the reasons you may expect. During a historic spending spree, Democrats failed to invest in one critical area: election infrastructure.
Much can be made of this latest budget process in Washington, which just wrapped at the very end 2022. But amongst the over-spending on social programs and general failure to responsibly steward taxpayer dollars, they cut a $400 million figure dedicated for basic election infrastructure down to just $75 million – a cut that left election workers in West Virginia and across the country in the dust.
At a time when foreign actors are intent on influencing our elections, protecting the technical backbone of our election infrastructure is critical. And with voting machines nearing expiration dates and uncertainty surrounding computer and internet access at election offices in our more rural counties, now is the time for real, targeted investments.
West Virginia runs some of the most efficient elections in the nation. And we are proud of the level of security maintained by our hard-working officials across the state. But make no mistake, there is always room for improvement. Particularly leading up to a presidential cycle in 2024. And given local officials are charged with bearing the costs and logistics of administering federal elections at the local level, this is one area where the federal government should indeed pay their fair share.
Now is a time for Republican leadership on this issue. If Democrats aren’t going to commit fully to supporting our local election officials, then we need to.
Let’s make sure we don’t forget: it is very much possible to maintain a balanced, modest budget in Washington while still providing the necessary funds for critical election infrastructure and security. The two are not mutually exclusive. And with so much on the line – from foreign interference to outright breakdowns of technical equipment – it’s not a risk we should be willing to take.
As we gavel in this session in Charleston, and our level-headed Senator Shelly Moore Capito continues to work toward delivering results for West Virginia in the Senate there is a real leadership opportunity here that deserves attention.