Cranston elections director warns SAVE Act, presidential order could jeopardize funding and voter access

Nick Lima, Cranston’s registrar and director of elections, told the City Council on April 28 that a recent presidential executive order and pending federal legislation known as the SAVE Act could threaten federal funding, complicate voting-system certification and create new administrative requirements that would affect local election operations.

Lima said the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) currently provide standards and funding the city relies on; the executive order would add a passport-or-equivalent requirement to the federal voter-registration form, and could attach future funding to states’ compliance with new standards. "This presentation does not convey the opinions or represent the EAC," Lima said, speaking in his capacity as Cranston’s elections director. He added bluntly, "it's pretty much clear as mud," describing the policy and litigation landscape.

The nut graf: federal HAVA grants and EAC-certified equipment are central to how municipalities run elections; at stake, Lima said, are future grants and the timing and…