§21004 — Title 52 Voting and Elections | U.S. Code

§21004 State plan

Title 52 › Subtitle Subtitle II— - Voting Assistance and Election Administration › Chapter CHAPTER 209— - ELECTION ADMINISTRATION IMPROVEMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - COMMISSION › Part Part D— - Election Assistance › Subpart subpart 1— - requirements payments › § 21004

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

States must make a written plan that explains how they will use the federal payment to meet the rules in subchapter III and, if allowed, to do other election-related work. The plan must cover many things, including how the money will be given out and tracked, training and education for voters and election workers, voting system rules, a detailed budget showing costs and how much of the payment will go to required activities versus other activities, how the State will keep spending at least as much as it did in the fiscal year ending prior to November 2000, performance goals and timetables with named officials responsible, a uniform complaint process, how any earlier payments affect the plan, how the plan will be run and changed (major changes need public notice and a 30-day wait after publication in the Federal Register), a report on changes from last year and who helped write the plan, and how the State will follow the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act. The State must set up a single state treasury fund for these activities made up of state money, the federal payment, other lawfully appropriated amounts, and interest. Money in that fund can be used only for the covered activities. If state law is needed to create the fund, the federal Commission will withhold the payment until the law is passed. Information in the plan cannot be used to sue the State under this chapter, but this does not stop criminal charges.

Title 52, §21004

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(a)The State plan shall contain a description of each of the following:

(1)How the State will use the requirements payment to meet the requirements of subchapter III, and, if applicable under section 21001(a)(2) of this title, to carry out other activities to improve the administration of elections.

(2)How the State will distribute and monitor the distribution of the requirements payment to units of local government or other entities in the State for carrying out the activities described in paragraph (1), including a description of—

(A)the criteria to be used to determine the eligibility of such units or entities for receiving the payment; and

(B)the methods to be used by the State to monitor the performance of the units or entities to whom the payment is distributed, consistent with the performance goals and measures adopted under paragraph (8).

(3)How the State will provide for programs for voter education, election official education and training, and poll worker training which will assist the State in meeting the requirements of subchapter III.

(4)How the State will adopt voting system guidelines and processes which are consistent with the requirements of section 21081 of this title.

(5)How the State will establish a fund described in subsection (b) for purposes of administering the State’s activities under this subpart, including information on fund management.

(6)The State’s proposed budget for activities under this subpart, based on the State’s best estimates of the costs of such activities and the amount of funds to be made available, including specific information on—

(A)the costs of the activities required to be carried out to meet the requirements of subchapter III;

(B)the portion of the requirements payment which will be used to carry out activities to meet such requirements; and

(C)the portion of the requirements payment which will be used to carry out other activities.

(7)How the State, in using the requirements payment, will maintain the expenditures of the State for activities funded by the payment at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the State for the fiscal year ending prior to November 2000.

(8)How the State will adopt performance goals and measures that will be used by the State to determine its success and the success of units of local government in the State in carrying out the plan, including timetables for meeting each of the elements of the plan, descriptions of the criteria the State will use to measure performance and the process used to develop such criteria, and a description of which official is to be held responsible for ensuring that each performance goal is met.

(9)A description of the uniform, nondiscriminatory State-based administrative complaint procedures in effect under section 21112 of this title.

(10)If the State received any payment under subchapter I, a description of how such payment will affect the activities proposed to be carried out under the plan, including the amount of funds available for such activities.

(11)How the State will conduct ongoing management of the plan, except that the State may not make any material change in the administration of the plan unless notice of the change—

(A)is developed and published in the Federal Register in accordance with section 21005 of this title in the same manner as the State plan;

(B)is subject to public notice and comment in accordance with section 21006 of this title in the same manner as the State plan; and

(C)takes effect only after the expiration of the 30-day period which begins on the date notice of the change is published in the Federal Register in accordance with subparagraph (A).

(12)In the case of a State with a State plan in effect under this part during the previous fiscal year, a description of how the plan reflects changes from the State plan for the previous fiscal year and of how the State succeeded in carrying out the State plan for such previous fiscal year.

(13)A description of the committee which participated in the development of the State plan in accordance with section 21005 of this title and the procedures followed by the committee under such section and section 21006 of this title.

(14)How the State will comply with the provisions and requirements of and amendments made by the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act.

(b)(1)For purposes of subsection (a)(5), a fund described in this subsection with respect to a State is a fund which is established in the treasury of the State government, which is used in accordance with paragraph (2), and which consists of the following amounts:

(A)Amounts appropriated or otherwise made available by the State for carrying out the activities for which the requirements payment is made to the State under this subpart.

(B)The requirements payment made to the State under this subpart.

(C)Such other amounts as may be appropriated under law.

(D)Interest earned on deposits of the fund.

(2)Amounts in the fund shall be used by the State exclusively to carry out the activities for which the requirements payment is made to the State under this subpart.

(3)In the case of a State that requires State legislation to establish the fund described in this subsection, the Commission shall defer disbursement of the requirements payment to such State until such time as legislation establishing the fund is enacted.

(c)(1)No action may be brought under this chapter against a State or other jurisdiction on the basis of any information contained in the State plan filed under this subpart.

(2)Paragraph (1) may not be construed to limit the liability of a State or other jurisdiction for criminal acts or omissions.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Subchapter III, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), (3), (6)(A), was in the original “title III”, meaning title III of Pub. L. 107–252, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1704, which is classified principally to subchapter III (§ 21081 et seq.) of this chapter. For complete classification of title III to the Code, see Tables. The Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(14), is subtitle H (§§ 575–589) of title V of div. A of Pub. L. 111–84, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2318. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. This chapter, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), was in the original “this Act”, meaning Pub. L. 107–252, Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1666, known as the Help America Vote Act of 2002, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 15404 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare, prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

2011—Subsec. (a)(11). Pub. L. 112–74 inserted “notice of” before “the change” in introductory provisions and subpar. (C). 2009—Subsec. (a)(14). Pub. L. 111–84 added par. (14).