Rokita Supports Legislation to End Wasteful Election Spending

Press Release

U.S. Rep. Todd Rokita, along with original author Rep. Gregg Harper (R-MS), and original cosponsors Chairwoman Candice Miller (R-MI) and Rep. Tom Cole (R-OK), this week introduced legislation to eliminate the outdated Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) and the Presidential Election Campaign Fund to save taxpayers $500 million.

"The EAC is an outdated program that provides no value to taxpayers. It is one more example of an overreaching, wasteful government program that must be cut if we're going to get serious about our debt crisis. Election experts across the country, including the National Association of Secretaries of State, an organization I once led, have supported ending the EAC. Each year we delay, the more expensive this useless bureaucratic waste becomes," said Rokita.

The Elections Assistance Commission (EAC) was created by the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) to help states replace old punch card and lever voting systems, and to implement statewide registration databases. When the Commission was created, it was only authorized for three years, yet five years later, American taxpayers are still footing the bill due to continued funding through the appropriations process.

As a former two-term Indiana Secretary of State, Rokita has practical experience with the EAC. In 2005, he authored, and the National Association of Secretaries of State supported on a bipartisan basis, a resolution to dissolve the EAC after the 2006 election. NASS renewed the call to dissolve the Commission in 2010. At a time of skyrocketing debt and huge deficits, the money spent on EAC cannot be justified.

Editor's Note: Similar legislation was introduced in the 112th Congress and passed the House in 2011. The legislation expired at the conclusion of the 112th Congress.

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