Should the U.S. & Other Democracies Exchange Info About Elections & Electoral Integrity? (H.R. 5274)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 5274?
(Updated December 28, 2018)
This bill ― the Global Electoral Exchange Act — would allow the State Department to provide grants for U.S. based organizations to establish international exchanges to improve information sharing about election systems and electoral integrity between democratic nations around the world.
Argument in favor
This commonsense, bipartisan bill would help the U.S. and other democracies around the world improve participation in their government by implementing electoral best practices.
Argument opposed
There’s no need for the U.S. and other democracies to share information about electoral best practices or for the federal government to provide grants for such activities.
Impact
Residents of democracies abroad; democratic governments; the U.S. government.
Cost of H.R. 5274
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: Introduced by Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-TX), the Global Electoral Exchange Act seeks to establish a cooperative relationship with other democratic nations around the world in order to foster better, stronger democracies.
“Free and fair elections are one of the best litmus tests for healthy democracy. While the United States sustains focus on our own election security, it is also important for us to work with international partners sharing best practices to ensure elections are credible, accurate and transparent. That’s why I introduced the Global Electoral Exchange Act, which promotes international exchanges on best election practices and cultivates more secure democratic institutions around the world. Such objectives fit squarely within the U.S. national interest to advance democracy worldwide, by providing new market opportunities, improving global outcomes, and promoting economic freedom and regional security.”
Original cosponsor Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) added:
“Fair, trustworthy, and accountable elections are fundamental to who we are as a nation and critical to our international partners as well. Anything we as Americans can do to promote healthy and secure election practices globally would be a welcome development. I thank my colleague Rep. Castro for his leadership on this initiative, and I’m proud to join him in this effort.”
This legislation passed the House Committee on Foreign Affairs unanimously, and has the bipartisan support of nine cosponsors, including six Democrats and three Republicans.
Media:
Summary by Lucas McConnell
(Photo Credit: iStock / YinYang)
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