Election Security & Preparedness Relies on Federal Investment

Anyone who has spent time in law enforcement knows this: if you wait until a crisis shows up to get ready, you've already lost valuable ground. You don't prepare because you expect something to go wrong - you prepare so it doesn't.

That mindset has stayed with me, and it's one of the reasons I care so deeply about the systems that hold our state together. One of the most important is the way we run our elections.

Here in Alabama, we're fortunate. Our elections aren't managed by distant bureaucrats - they're run by people we know. Probate judges, circuit clerks, and county election officials work year-round to make sure every voter can trust the process. These men and women take pride in doing it right, and they deserve credit for keeping Alabama among the most secure and smoothly run election systems in the country.

But the threats they face today don't look like the ones we dealt with ten or twenty years ago. It's no longer just about fixing old machines or recruiting enough poll workers. Now, foreign adversaries and criminal cyber groups see our election systems as targets. They look for gaps they can exploit, not necessarily to change votes, but to create doubt and confusion.

They understand that shaking confidence can be just as damaging as breaking into a system. That's why staying ahead of these threats matters - and why staying ahead takes steady, dependable resources.

Local officials are doing everything they can with the budgets they have. They're upgrading aging equipment, improving cybersecurity, and training workers to handle new technology. But they can't do long-term planning when federal support comes in fits and starts. One year brings a surge of funding; the next, counties are left scrambling to make do with almost nothing.

Over the last two fiscal years, Congress has provided only around $70 million nationwide for election infrastructure. Not long ago, yearly funding averaged closer to $400 million. That's a drastic decline at a time when the work is becoming more complex, not less.

Let's be clear: consistent federal funding isn't about giving Washington more control. Alabama doesn't need that, and I wouldn't support it. What it does mean is giving our local officials the reliability they need to plan ahead, hire and retain trained staff, and keep our systems resilient against ever-evolving threats.

Our election workers have proven they can deliver safe, secure, and trustworthy elections. All they're asking for is predictability - the same thing any sheriff's office, fire department, or emergency team needs to stay ready and effective.

I've seen firsthand what preparation can prevent. I've also seen what happens when people are expected to do critical work without the tools they need. Alabama has done its part. Now Congress needs to do its part by providing stable, long-term support so our counties aren't forced to choose between patching holes and preparing for the future.

Because readiness isn't something you switch on during an election year. It's something you build - and protect - every single day.