Congress has expanded the federal role in campaigns and elections in the past 50 years, particularly in campaign finance and voting rights. The federal government plays relatively little role in regulating campaigns, except for campaign finance. Several other agencies also play roles in campaigns and elections. This report does not track legislation. Scope of the Report

The report addresses those areas of law and public policy that most directly and routinely affect federal campaigns and elections. This report will be updated in the future to reflect major developments or new information. Categories refer to six broad policy areas discussed in the following pages. These include 
campaign finance; election administration; election security; redistricting; qualifications and contested elections; and voting rights. Within its purview, however, the federal government's duties can involve multiple statutes, agencies, and areas of public policy. The Appendix at the end of this report provides citations to other areas of law that may be relevant in specific cases but are not otherwise addressed in the report. Among other provisions, HAVA
authorized payments to help states improve election administration, and to replace punchcard and lever voting machines; required states to establish statewide voter registration databases, provide polling-place access to disabled voters, and provide provisional ballots to voters whose eligibility is unclear, among other requirements; transferred the Federal Election Commission's previous election administration functions to a new independent agency, the Election Assistance Commission (EAC); required the EAC to disburse the federal payments to states; charged the EAC with conducting research on election administration and developing voluntary voting system guidelines (VVSG) for election equipment, and with accrediting testing laboratories and certifying election equipment; generally prohibited the EAC from engaging in rulemaking; established working relationships between the EAC and several other governmental and nongovernmental entities, including through a Standards Board and Board of Advisors (which includes representatives from various federal agencies), and a Technical Guidelines Development Committee (TGDC) to review the VVSG and provide input on election "best practices"; provided the Justice Department with enforcement authority; and expanded protections for military and overseas voters' access to election information and absentee ballots. In addition to Members being candidates themselves, Representatives and Senators
legislate in and oversee policy areas ranging from those that are central to campaigns and elections, such as campaign finance or voting rights, to those that affect campaigns and elections in some cases, such as cybersecurity; appropriate federal funds to support election administration; and execute constitutional duties related to elections, including counting electoral college ballots in presidential elections, and considering contested elections. Congressional Committees Primarily Responsible for Overseeing Federal Campaigns and Elections

At least 22 congressional committees potentially have roles in overseeing or appropriating funds for the federal role in U.S. campaigns and elections, as shown in Table 3 . Department of Defense

Federal law and American political culture generally limits military involvement in federal elections. Intelligence Community

Several federal departments and agencies constitute the Intelligence Community (IC). Reports of foreign interference in the 2016 election cycle increased federal attention to intelligence and security concerns that were not previously a major part of American campaigns or election administration. Currently, no single agency or statute provides overarching coordination for the federal presence in campaigns and elections.
Conventional wisdom holds that the federal government plays relatively little role in U.S. campaigns and elections. Although states retain authority for most aspects of election administration, a closer look reveals that the federal government also has steadily increased its presence in campaigns and elections in the past 50 years. Altogether, dozens of congressional committees and federal agencies could be involved in federal elections under current law.
Congress faces a complex mix of traditional oversight areas with developing ones throughout the elections field. Reports of foreign interference during the 2016 election cycle, and concerns about future interference, have raised the profile of campaigns and elections policy in Congress, at federal agencies, and beyond. As Congress considers these and other developing issues, this report provides the House and Senate with a resource for first understanding the current campaigns and elections regulatory structure. The report addresses those areas of law and public policy that most directly and routinely affect American campaigns and elections. This includes six broad categories of law through which Congress has assigned various agencies roles in regulating or supporting campaigns, elections, or both. These are campaign finance; election administration; election security; redistricting; qualifications and contested elections; and voting rights.
No single federal agency is in charge of the federal role in campaigns and elections, just as multiple statutes address various aspects of the field. The Election Assistance Commission and Federal Election Commission are devoted entirely to campaigns and elections. Congress has charged other departments and agencies—such as the Department of Justice, Department of Defense, and component organizations comprising the Intelligence Community—primarily with responsibilities for other areas of public policy, but also with supporting or administering campaigns and elections policy in specific cases. Other agencies or statutes may be relevant in specific cases.
This report does not track legislation that proposes changes in the policy environment discussed herein. It will be updated occasionally to reflect new information or major policy developments.