As former members of Congress from different parties, we have witnessed many hyperpartisan debates about how to fix our political system. Yet despite appearances, there are many things that Republicans and Democrats can and do agree on when it comes to election laws and policy. They agree that our elections are secure, but cybersecurity needs are constantly changing. They agree that election officials are hardworking professionals, but they need more resources and support. They agree that states and the federal government both have a role in keeping our elections free, fair, and secure, though sometimes with a healthy debate about where the lines should be drawn.

But rarely do these debates lead to the types of commonsense reforms that are necessary. Congress has repeatedly failed to adequately and consistently fund our elections, while foreign adversaries such as China and Russia are busy expanding their election-meddling influence around the world. This should be a wake-up call to our leaders to set partisanship aside and place the security and strength of our elections above politics. We must invest in our election infrastructure before voters head to the polls in 2024 and while officials have the time to prepare for the threats facing our elections.

A new report from the German Marshall Fund and Issue One outlines 13 specific recommendations that Congress and state legislatures can take to mitigate existing electoral vulnerabilities and prevent threats from undermining future elections. They are also all measures that have earned strong bipartisan support in recent years.

Our home states of Virginia and Maryland provide good examples of reforms that will have a big impact on election security.

One of the best ways to increase confidence in elections is to enable voters who vote by mail to track their ballot through the process. Ballot tracking also reduces voter confusion and decreases the possibility that a voter will accidentally attempt to vote twice in the mistaken belief that their mail-in ballot was not received.

Virginia successfully implemented a ballot tracking program at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when election officials across the country were seeking to boost confidence in election integrity amid a nationwide shift to voting by mail. Nearly every state offers online ballot tracking , but expanding and funding these programs is a necessary step toward improving people’s confidence in their elections.

Additionally, all states should pre-process their mail-in ballots to speed up vote counting after Election Day. Florida has implemented such a measure, which allowed the state to quickly report results on election night in 2020, while Pennsylvania, where state lawmakers have blocked the pre-processing of mail-in ballots, took days to count all the votes.

In all, 12 states and Puerto Rico currently do not permit election workers to verify signatures and open envelopes before Election Day. This has caused substantial delays in reporting unofficial results, creating openings for the spread of disinformation about the integrity of the vote count.

Maryland has also long lagged behind in this area, prohibiting mail-in ballots from being processed until two days after Election Day . But now Maryland is considering legislation to allow for pre-processing following the implementation of other important reforms involving voter registration, mail-in voting, and ballot tracking. Pre-processing will help ensure quicker reporting of election results, greater confidence in election outcomes, and more support for election officials.

What can Congress do to support states in improving their election security? For starters, Congress must finally step up and provide consistent, sustainable federal funding for elections. Protecting our elections is a national security priority, and it should be funded like one.

Election infrastructure is critical infrastructure. The Department of Homeland Security designated our election system as critical infrastructure in 2017. Congress appropriates funding for elections through the Election Assistance Commission’s election security grant program each year. But for each of the last two years, Congress appropriated just $75 million for the program, far less than what is needed. If our elections are designated as critical infrastructure by the federal government, then it’s critical that the federal government protect that critical infrastructure — period.

Moreover, new roles call for new resources. Election officials have had to take on new and financially demanding responsibilities in the last five years. They have had to become experts in cybersecurity, digital communication, and public relations — all while facing new costs for physical security to respond to threats and doxxing. At the same time, election offices are struggling to bear the price of basic necessities amid higher labor costs and ballot paper supply shortages.

Of course, many of these changes are easier said than done. Elections have always been a politically charged issue in Congress. But as last year’s bipartisan update to the Electoral Count Act shows, there is a real appetite for pragmatic policies that bolster and protect our most central institutions. Policymakers at the local, state, and federal levels must find these areas of common ground and work together to advance meaningful changes that strengthen our elections and improve the voter experience.

The time to secure our 2024 elections is today.

Barbara Comstock is a former U.S. representative for Virginia, and Donna Edwards is a former U.S. representative for Maryland. They co-chair Issue One’s National Council on Election Integrity .