§21004 State Plan

Summary

States must send a plan that explains how they will use the federal requirements payment to meet national voting rules and to improve how elections are run. The plan must say how the money will be shared with local governments or other groups, the rules for who can get money, and how the State will check their work. It must describe voter education, training for election officials and poll workers, voting system rules, a budget showing costs and how much of the payment will pay for required activities versus other activities, and performance goals with timetables and the official responsible. The plan must show how spending will stay at least as high as the level for the fiscal year ending prior to November 2000, describe fair state complaint procedures, say how any earlier payments affect the plan, explain changes from the prior year and who helped write the plan, and promise to follow the Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act. Any major change to the plan must be published in the Federal Register, opened for public comment, and wait 30 days after notice before it takes effect. The State must put the money into a state treasury election fund made up of state appropriations, the federal requirements payment, any other lawful appropriations, and interest, and use that fund only for the covered election activities. If the State needs new state law to create the fund, the federal Commission will hold off on paying the requirements payment until the law is passed. No lawsuit under this law can be based on information in the plan, except for criminal acts.