Washington DC - President Donald Trump's administration threatened to withhold federal terrorism-prevention funding from states that fail to make specific changes to the way they conduct elections.

A new grant notice from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for the 2026 fiscal year threatens to withhold 20% of Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) funding from states that have not complied with the administration's demands.

The HSGP is a more than $1 billion anti-terrorism program that helps states pay for things like emergency planning, cybersecurity, and physical protections designed to keep people safe in public spaces.

Specifically, FEMA is demanding that states comply with the Financial Year 2026 Election Security NPA requirements, which require at least 3% of certain grant funds to be spent on election security.

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Additionally, states must transition away from electronic or digital voting systems and re-adopt hand-marked ballots. They must also conduct citizenship checks for anyone working at polling booths or operating election systems.

Ultimately, states must comply with most of the measures introduced in Trump's Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE America Act), which has not been approved by Congress.

In a statement to the New York Times about the new FEMA requirements, New York Governor Kathy Hochul warned that they will make people less safe.

"After denying disaster relief funding and stripping millions from counterterrorism programs, the Trump administration is once again putting New Yorkers' lives at risk to forward their political agenda," Hochul said.

"Unlike the President, my number one priority is New Yorkers' safety, and I will fight to ensure our state has every resource available to keep us secure."