FEMA urges Gulf Coast residents to prepare for Hurricane Isaias. Under President Trump and Secretary Mullin’s leadership, the safety of the American people is DHS’s top priority.
— FEMA Press Release, 10/08/2026
Federal judge rules Trump plan to cut FEMA by 50 percent was unlawful
Recent incidents demonstrate that disruptions originating within a single infrastructure sector can rapidly cascade across interconnected systems.
In the recent aid denials, all four states exceeded FEMA’s current damage threshold that would trigger aid to flow, according to estimates by FEMA.
Do these requirements add a significant burden?
In January 2017, DHS designated the infrastructure used to administer the nation’s elections as
critical infrastructure. This designation recognizes that the United States’ election
infrastructure is of such vital importance to the American way of life that its incapacitation or
destruction would have a devastating effect on the country. Additionally, the Homeland Threat
Assessment 2024 indicates that electoral processes remain an attractive target for many
adversaries.
Securing election infrastructure, ensuring its continued operation in the face of threats and
harassment, advancing the safety of election officials, and protecting against foreign
interference are national security priorities. Because threats to election systems are constantly
evolving, defending these systems requires constant vigilance, innovation, and adaptation. By
integrating the directives of Executive Order 14248, Preserving and Protection the Integrity of
American Elections, into the Election Security NPA, HSGP recipients can ensure that their efforts
contribute to a secure, transparent, and resilient electoral process, thereby reinforcing public
trust and the integrity of democratic institutions.
To address these priorities, each state and high-risk urban area must make at least one
investment that supports physical and/or cyber election security. Proposed investments must
meet or exceed the FY 2026 national priority percentage for election security (minimum 3%)
and will be evaluated by DHS/FEMA for effectiveness and alignment with program goals.
To strengthen the integrity of U.S. elections, each state and high-risk urban area election
jurisdiction must:
• Submit a transition plan: Submit a plan for transitioning from electronic voting systems that
utilize bar codes or QR codes to count votes to equipment that accepts hand-marked paper
ballots. The plan, for all jurisdictions currently using such systems, must include a timeline
and, if necessary, a funding request to eliminate ballot marking devices and utilize hand-
marked paper ballots.
• Post-election manual audit: Demonstrate proof of compliance with a post-election 5%
manual audit, conducted according to the guidelines established by the Secretary, to
ensure that electronic voting systems accurately count votes.
• Voter/ballot reconciliation: Ensure that each election jurisdiction reconciles the number of
voters who voted in each federal election to the number of ballots cast, using the
methodology established by the Secretary.
• Voter roll citizenship verification: Utilize the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’
Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to verify the citizenship of all
151.
e) individuals in the state voter registration database within 120 days of accepting the grant
award*
. To mitigate operational vulnerabilities exploitable by terrorist or foreign actors
and advance HSGP counterterrorism objectives, the State's chief election official must take
timely corrective action, consistent with applicable law, to remove verified non-U.S. citizens
from the database.
• Election worker citizenship verification: Utilize the SAVE system, or another authorized
government system, to verify U.S. citizenship for any person working at a polling place in
any capacity, or operating any election system in the jurisdiction, including temporary
agency workers and vendors who work on or with election systems. To prevent sabotage,
infiltration, or foreign interference, the State's chief election official must ensure verified
non-U.S. citizens are prohibited from operating election systems or working at polling
places, consistent with applicable law, thereby hardening critical infrastructure under
HSGP.
3% Allocation vs. 20% Holdback — Distinct Requirements
The 3% minimum allocation and the 20% holdback are separate requirements and do not
offset one another.
• The 3% minimum allocation is a spending requirement: each state and high-risk urban area
must dedicate at least 3% of its SHSP and UASI award to eligible election security
investments.
• The 20% holdback is a separate drawdown condition: For each state and UASI, FEMA will
withhold from drawdown an amount equal to 20% of the recipient’s total HSGP award
(SHSP, UASI, and OPSG) until the recipient submits proof of compliance with the FY 2026
Election Security NPA requirements and the Department verifies/confirms that proof.
Meeting the 3% allocation does not, by itself, release the 20% holdback, and the holdback
applies to funds beyond the 3% set-aside.
Upon verification/confirmation of compliance, FEMA will notify the recipient and release the
withheld portion(s) for drawdown in accordance with applicable grant administration
requirements.
The president has staffed the agency in charge of federal disaster response with a rotating cast of fools—and it’s showing.
Episode 2 — Katrina…
In this episode, OTM co-host Micah Loewinger tells the origin story of FEMA — which initially focused less on disaster relief and more on plans to save the government from nuclear attack. The agency’s secrecy inspired wild conspiracy theories and paranoia among far-right groups, including the fear that FEMA is building camps to detain citizens and stifle political dissent. The episode culminates with a never-before-told story of a plot to stalk FEMA’s top brass in the nineties.