HR 723119th CongressIn Committee

Protect American Election Administration Act of 2025

Introduced: Jan 24, 2025

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The Protect American Election Administration Act of 2025 would tighten how federal election administration is funded by prohibiting a state from soliciting, receiving, or using private funds, properties, or personal services to run elections for Federal office. The ban covers activities such as voter education, outreach, and registration, with a narrow exception allowing private donations of space for polling places or early voting sites. The bill would amend the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA) to add a new Section 305 prohibiting these private contributions, update enforcement language to reflect the new prohibition, and make some clerical/structural changes to the statute. It would take effect for elections held after the date of enactment. The bill was introduced in the House on January 24, 2025, by Rep. Cole and several co-sponsors and referred to the House Administration Committee.

Key Points

1Prohibits states from soliciting, receiving, or expending funds, property, or personal services from private entities for the administration of elections for Federal office, including voter education, outreach, and registration.
2Narrow exception: private donations of space for polling places or early voting sites are allowed.
3Applies to any election for Federal office conducted after the date of enactment; not retroactive to elections before enactment.
4Adds a new enforcement provision (Section 305) to HAVA, with related conforming changes to enforcement and procedural references; penalties or enforcement specifics are not detailed in the text provided.
5Includes clerical and structural amendments to HAVA (renumbering sections and updating the table of contents) to accommodate the new prohibition.

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: State and local election offices responsible for administering federal elections; procurement and policy teams within states and counties will need to adjust rules to ensure no private funding or in-kind donations are used for election administration.Secondary group/area affected: Private entities, corporations, foundations, and nonprofits that previously contributed funds, goods, or services to election administration (excluding space donations for polling/early voting sites), as well as vendors and contractors involved in election operations.Additional impacts: Voters could experience changes in how election administration is financed; states may need to rely more on public funds, general appropriations, or existing federal/state allocations, potentially affecting budgets and staffing. The bill signals a shift toward reducing private sector influence over election administration and could raise questions about funding adequacy and flexibility for administering federal elections.

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