Federal judge rules FEMA cannot condition emergency funds on states changing election practices

What This is

• A federal judge ruled FEMA cannot tie counterterrorism grant funding to states adopting new election-administration requirements.
• The blocked policy would have withheld about 20% of counterterrorism grant awards from jurisdictions that did not comply.
• The judge said the agencies lacked clear authority from Congress to impose these election-related conditions on the grants.
• The ruling also found the election conditions were not closely related to the purpose of the counterterrorism grants.
• The disputed requirements included verifying voter citizenship and setting mandatory audits and other election plans set by the federal government.
• The guidance also pushed some jurisdictions to move from certain electronic systems to hand-marked paper ballots.

Why This Matters

• The decision reinforces that Congress, not agencies, must clearly authorize major new conditions attached to federal funding.
• It shapes how much national influence Washington can exert over election security through grant programs that were created for other purposes.
• It affects local budgeting because cities and states often count on counterterrorism grants for public-safety planning.