Story perspectives

Trump threatens 20% grant cuts over hand-marked ballots.

6/23/2026

Summary

Story summary

The administration is using homeland security grants to force states to adopt hand-marked ballots and a citizenship-verification database.
President Donald Trump’s administration threatens to withhold 20% of grant money from states that do not meet the election requirements.
Legal scholars say the mandates exceed presidential authority and will likely be blocked by courts.
Compliance could cost $2.7 billion nationwide, with Georgia estimating $66 million, potentially exceeding the withheld grant amount.

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Story summary

The administration is using homeland security grants to force states to adopt hand-marked ballots and a citizenship-verification database.
President Donald Trump’s administration threatens to withhold 20% of grant money from states that do not meet the election requirements.
Legal scholars say the mandates exceed presidential authority and will likely be blocked by courts.
Compliance could cost $2.7 billion nationwide, with Georgia estimating $66 million, potentially exceeding the withheld grant amount.