WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Today, Democrats and grassroots efforts succeeded in pressuring Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell into supporting bipartisan election security legislation to protect voting systems from hacking. The voting machines used by millions of voters in over a dozen states are still susceptible to hacking following foreign powers interfering in the 2016 and 2018 elections.
The House has already allocated $600 million in election security funding to upgrade voting machines to include paper ballots, but the legislation McConnell announced support for today will only allocate $250 million, less than half of what experts say is needed. The first primary elections for 2020 will begin in less than 150 days.
In response, Sierra Club Democracy Program Director Courtney Hight released the following statement:
"It’s shameful that it took months of pressure and millions of Americans calling for action for Mitch McConnell to do his job and start to protect our elections. It is unacceptable that any voting systems in any state are still susceptible to hacking. The Senate has a duty to the American people to protect every vote in every state. Period. The Senate must allocate the full $600 million for election security funding as soon as possible.”
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with more than 3.5 million members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.