Under threat of pandemic and fears of tampering, state and local officials are getting ready for the all-new demands at a time when their budgets are stretched paper-thin. And with each passing day this week, President Donald Trump and Congress seem increasingly unlikely to reach a deal that would send badly needed funds to help bolster the system. Visit CNN's Election Center for full coverage of the 2020 race In interviews with more than a dozen elected officials from Michigan to Missouri, CNN has learned there is a growing concern that the infrastructure, manpower and safety protocols needed to conduct timely and fair elections amid a global pandemic are in jeopardy across the country as local officials watch Congress and the White House struggle to find a deal on a broader stimulus package. "There are enough things to worry about with this election," said Gerry Pelissero, the county clerk for Gogebic County, Michigan. "The last thing we should worry about is will we be able to pay for it." The good news, experts say, is that the investment needed is relatively small compared with the price tags of the major stimulus bills that have come out of Washington over the last six months. The Brennan Center, a nonpartisan arm of New York University, estimated earlier this year that it would cost approximately $4 billion nationally to pay for more poll workers, personal protective equipment, staff to count additional mail-in ballots and technological advancements that could help ensure that results are determined in a timely fashion. Compared with the more than $3 trillion spent so far, experts say, it is a drop in the bucket. More concerning, they argue, is how hard a fight it has become to secure any funding from Congress at all. "It is such a small investment that is needed to ensure the stability and safety of our election system. It is just mind-boggling that it is so difficult to accomplish that and that Congress cannot agree to make that basic investment in our government and in the democratic system," said Wendy Weiser, vice president for democracy at the Brennan Center. "That this is such a heavy lift points to some dramatic failure of governance." Stalled negotiations, dwindling funds On Capitol Hill, election assistance funding has become one of the primary sticking points in negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Senate leader Chuck Schumer and the White House. Democrats passed the HEROES Act in May, appropriating $3.6 billion in election funds, while the Senate Republicans' proposal included none. Talks have stalled, with no sign of moving toward an agreement. Local officials said they expect money from the March CARES Act, which included $400 million in election assistance, to run out before November. In Greene County, Missouri, the $150,000 received from the federal government earlier this year is almost gone. Nearly $50,000 was spent on plexiglass shields to protect workers in the primary. Another $50,000 was spent for a high-speed ballot counti