The current COVID-19 health crisis is creating large-scale challenges for election officials. There is a widespread call now for billions of dollars in funding from Congress to help states conduct the 2020 elections.

Election officials desperately need and deserve additional resources. However, the last time Congress allocated close to four billion dollars for elections, in 2002 with the Help America Vote Act, there was insufficient oversight of spending. Funds were often used to purchase outdated, insecure electronic voting systems that undermined security, accuracy, reliability, and confidence. We cannot afford to repeat that mistake.