The Trump administration is pressuring states to overhaul election rules in exchange for federal counterterrorism funding, according to a New York Times report.

The demands include transitioning to hand-marked paper ballots, verifying voter citizenship, and conducting manual audits of 5% of ballots, which experts argue could cause significant delays and undermine election security.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is threatening to withhold $1 billion annually in terrorism-preparedness grants if states do not comply.These grants, primarily allocated to populous states like New York, fund security barriers, cybersecurity measures, and drills.Critics, including election security experts, warn that the proposed changes lack adequacy for close races and may disproportionately affect voters.Legal challenges are anticipated, as courts have previously blocked similar attempts to impose federal control over state election processes.

The administration claims election security is a priority, but opponents argue the measures serve political agendas rather than genuine security needs.