2024 Federal Grants

Help America Vote Act (HAVA) 2024 Election Security Grant Fund

On March 9, 2024, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024 was signed into law. The Act included $55 million in new Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds, made available to states to improve the administration of elections for Federal office, including to enhance election technology and make certain election security improvements.  The 2024 HAVA Election Security Fund, authorized under Title I Section 101, 103, and 104 of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) of 2002, marks the fifth new appropriations for HAVA grants since FY2010. This funding will provide states with additional resources to secure and improve election administration.

Pennsylvania's share of this federal funding is $1,000,000. 

On April 18, 2024, Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt notified the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC) that Pennsylvania intended to distribute 50% of the grant award, $500,000, to the counties for expenditures preferably related to the 2024 elections. Allowable expenditures must be used for measures such as: 

• Voting Equipment – Software and hardware costs related to voting equipment.
• Voting Processes – Non-voting equipment related costs such as staffing for federal election related work, maintenance, and storage of voting equipment, staff training for election administration needs, and travel for election related activities for federal election related work.
• Physical Security – Devices to protect critical election infrastructure such as security cameras and secured physical access including locks, barriers, key cards, etc. 
• Cyber Security – Costs associated with cyber security such as monitoring software, staffing, training, contracts for services, and maintenance of any systems. 
• Voter Education – Associated costs may include contracts for various print, online, or other media communication to assist in education voters on rights, procedures, and voting technology.
• Election Auditing - All costs associated with post-election auditing, including staffing, travel, training, contracts for services, and maintenance of any systems.
• Accessibility - All costs associated with ensuring polling places and election-related facilities are fully accessible.

The remaining portion of this grant will be expended directly by the Commonwealth for statewide efforts to support the voting process for the 2024 general election.

The grant funds were allocated proportionally to the 67 counties using a formula-based process based on voter registration numbers in each county as of April 23, 2024. The table below depicts the disbursement by county acknowledging and accepting the grant as of June 25, 2024