The House has defeated a measure that would have provided paper ballots to state and local governments as a back-up to their electronic voting systems.

The measure, H.R. 5803, would have directed the Election Assistance Commission to establish a program to make the grants in time for the November election. It failed when supporters were unable to get the necessary two-thirds  majority to suspend the rules and pass it.

The bill, sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), specified that the paper ballots would be used in the event of a failure of the electronic systems.