SAINT PAUL — Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon released the following statement in response to the Senate vote limiting election cybersecurity funding:
“The Senate majority today voted to authorize only twenty percent of the federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funds that Congress and President Trump allocated to Minnesota to spend on election security. In doing so, the Senate has authorized the construction of some new systems without any resources whatsoever to defend those new systems from attack. That makes no sense. Minnesota remains the only state in the country without complete access to our share of federal election security funds. Make no mistake – intelligence officials are warning of new and serious threats from outside forces seeking to interfere with our election system. Minnesota has a target on its back.
“Along with stakeholders and experts from across Minnesota, my office developed a detailed plan to spend the full $6.6 million of allocated election security funds. That plan was constructed over many months in coordination with elected members of the legislature, and was passed by the Minnesota House last week by an overwhelming bipartisan majority. The Senate majority is the stumbling block, declining to articulate any objection to any element of the consensus spending plan. Having heard no substantive objection, the people of Minnesota might reasonably conclude that delay itself is their goal.
“The defense of our democracy is at stake. The time for game playing is over.”