The U.S. Election Assistance Commission has approved the disbursement of $861 million to 25 States to support federal election administration. The Help America Vote Act of 2002 requires the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to make these payments to help States meet the uniform and nondiscriminatory election technology and administration provisions in that law. The General Services Administration (GSA) is disbursing the funds on behalf of the Commission.

The election technology and administration provisions require States to:

• Ensure that voting systems used in federal elections on and after January 1, 2006 meet six voting system standards.
  
  
• Employ provisional voting for voters whose eligibility to vote is in question in federal elections held on and after January 1, 2004.
  
  
• Post voting information at the polls on the day of each election for federal office held on and after January 1, 2004.
  
  
• Develop and maintain a uniform computerized statewide voter registration database no later than January 1, 2004, unless the State requested a waiver of the requirement for good cause until January 1, 2006.
  
  
• Implement identification requirements for voters who register by mail on and after January 1, 2003.

A State may use the payments for other election administration improvements once it has met these requirements.

In order to receive the funds, States had to certify that:

• They had filed a State plan for use of the funds with the EAC;
  
  
• They had filed with the EAC a plan for the implementation of uniform, non-discriminatory administrative complaint procedures required under the law and has such procedures in place;
  
  
• They are in compliance with six federal laws: the Voting Rights Act of 1965; the Voting Accessibility for the Elderly and Handicapped Act; the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act; the National Voter Registration Act of 1993; the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and the Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
  
  
• They had appropriated funds that total 5 percent of the total federal payment to carry out the activities for which the payments are made.
  
  
• They had established a separate fund to receive and manage the federal funds and the 5 percent state match

The federal payments come from federal appropriations made for this purpose in fiscal years 2003 and 2004. The U.S. Election Assistance Commission was established to distribute these funds and to audit their use.

*The States to receive payments include: Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission was created by the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA). The Commission is charged with administering voluntary guidelines for election requirements under HAVA, maintaining a clearinghouse of information regarding election administration procedures including testing and certification of election equipment, and administering the Election Assistance and Help America Vote Programs. The EAC commissioners are DeForest B. Soaries, Jr., Chairman; Gracia M. Hillman, Vice Chair, Paul DeGregorio and Ray Martinez III.