Senate strikes down proposal to spend more on election security

(Image credit: Mario Tama/Getty Images)

published 1 August 2018

States will not get additional funding to help secure the upcoming midterm elections.

The Senate on Wednesday rejected a proposal that would have provided more money for states to ramp up security efforts, The Hill reports. The amendment to an appropriations measure was struck down 50-47.

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Intelligence officials have said that there are ongoing efforts to undermine U.S. election systems, and warned that cyber threats will almost certainly affect the midterms. Facebook on Tuesday announced that it had identified an ongoing, coordinated effort to influence upcoming elections. However, GOP lawmakers like Sen. James Lankford (Okla.) said that states haven't even spent the $380 million that Congress previously approved for election security spending. Lankford called it "far too early" to increase the spending.

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.

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