United States Code
USC most recently checked for updates: Jun 09, 2025
§ 20901.
Payments to States for activities to improve administration of elections
(a)
In general
Not later than 45 days after
(b)
Use of payment
(1)
In general
A State shall use the funds provided under a payment made under this section to carry out one or more of the following activities:
(A)
Complying with the requirements under subchapter III.
(B)
Improving the administration of elections for Federal office.
(C)
Educating voters concerning voting procedures, voting rights, and voting technology.
(D)
Training election officials, poll workers, and election volunteers.
(E)
Developing the State plan for requirements payments to be submitted under subpart 1 of part D of subchapter II.
(F)
Improving, acquiring, leasing, modifying, or replacing voting systems and technology and methods for casting and counting votes.
(G)
Improving the accessibility and quantity of polling places, including providing physical access for individuals with disabilities, providing nonvisual access for individuals with visual impairments, and providing assistance to Native Americans, Alaska Native citizens, and to individuals with limited proficiency in the English language.
(H)
Establishing toll-free telephone hotlines that voters may use to report possible voting fraud and voting rights violations, to obtain general election information, and to access detailed automated information on their own voter registration status, specific polling place locations, and other relevant information.
(2)
Limitation
A State may not use the funds provided under a payment made under this section—
(A)
to pay costs associated with any litigation, except to the extent that such costs otherwise constitute permitted uses of a payment under this section; or
(B)
for the payment of any judgment.
(c)
Use of funds to be consistent with other laws and requirements
In order to receive a payment under the program under this section, the State shall provide the Administrator with certifications that—
(1)
the State will use the funds provided under the payment in a manner that is consistent with each of the laws described in section 21145 of this title, as such laws relate to the provisions of this chapter; and
(2)
the proposed uses of the funds are not inconsistent with the requirements of subchapter III.
(d)
Amount of payment
(1)
In general
Subject to section 20903(b) of this title, the amount of payment made to a State under this section shall be the minimum payment amount described in paragraph (2) plus the voting age population proportion amount described in paragraph (3).
(2)
Minimum payment amount
The minimum payment amount described in this paragraph is—
(A)
in the case of any of the several States or the District of Columbia, one-half of 1 percent of the aggregate amount made available for payments under this section; and
(B)
in the case of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, or the United States Virgin Islands, one-tenth of 1 percent of such aggregate amount.
(3)
Voting age population proportion amount
The voting age population proportion amount described in this paragraph is the product of—
(A)
the aggregate amount made available for payments under this section minus the total of all of the minimum payment amounts determined under paragraph (2); and
(B)
the voting age population proportion for the State (as defined in paragraph (4)).
(4)
Voting age population proportion defined
The term “voting age population proportion” means, with respect to a State, the amount equal to the quotient of—
(A)
the voting age population of the State (as reported in the most recent decennial census); and
(B)
the total voting age population of all States (as reported in the most recent decennial census).
cite as: 52 USC 20901
