Roll Call: Biden budget seeks $10 billion over decade to improve elections, make ballots postage-free

The Biden administration called for spending $10 billion over the next decade to beef up the country’s elections infrastructure as part of the fiscal 2023 budget proposal released Monday.

Along with providing “a predictable funding stream for critical capital investments and increased staffing and services,” the budget proposes to expand the Postal Service’s capacity in “underserved areas” and to increase vote-by-mail initiatives — including making ballots postage-free.  …

Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at Common Cause, an independent citizens’ lobbying group, said that much money would be “transformative” for states holding elections.  …

Albert said states often save the grant money they receive from the federal government for emergencies or for other unexpected reasons.

“Officials don’t have confidence that more money will be coming. They don’t feel free to use it in a way that could expand access,” Albert said, praising Biden’s call for sustained funding. “That would really allow election officials to create programs that really maximize access … without worrying that they are spending money to expand a program but then next year have to roll it all back.”

Expanding vote-by-mail programs in underserved areas could help people who live in rural areas and on Native lands vote more easily, Albert added.

The proposal could also solidify a Postal Service policy to deliver ballots regardless of whether they have postage on them. Currently, enforcement of that policy varies across the country, she said.

“Adding something like this to law would ensure that that policy is actually followed,” she said.