diff --git a/fec/data/templates/election-lookup.jinja b/fec/data/templates/election-lookup.jinja
index 3ed6763b38..ed0cad1e1b 100644
--- a/fec/data/templates/election-lookup.jinja
+++ b/fec/data/templates/election-lookup.jinja
@@ -112,6 +112,6 @@ var context = {
   }
 };
 </script>
-<script src="{{ asset_for_js('dataviz-common.js') }}"></script>
-<script src="{{ asset_for_js('election-lookup.js') }}"></script>
+<script defer src="{{ asset_for_js('dataviz-common.js') }}"></script>
+<script defer src="{{ asset_for_js('election-lookup.js') }}"></script>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/fec/data/templates/elections.jinja b/fec/data/templates/elections.jinja
index 40c7bcd4b6..48521d1981 100644
--- a/fec/data/templates/elections.jinja
+++ b/fec/data/templates/elections.jinja
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ var context = {
 };
 
 </script>
-<script src="{{ asset_for_js('dataviz-common.js') }}"></script>
-<script src="{{ asset_for_js('elections.js') }}"></script>
+<script defer src="{{ asset_for_js('dataviz-common.js') }}"></script>
+<script defer src="{{ asset_for_js('elections.js') }}"></script>
 {% endblock %}
 
diff --git a/fec/data/templates/landing.jinja b/fec/data/templates/landing.jinja
index 8237d94d0a..06a139372b 100644
--- a/fec/data/templates/landing.jinja
+++ b/fec/data/templates/landing.jinja
@@ -301,6 +301,6 @@
 {% endblock %}
 
 {% block scripts %}
-  <script src="{{ asset_for_js('dataviz-common.js') }}"></script>
-  <script src="{{ asset_for_js('data-landing.js') }}"></script>
+  <script defer src="{{ asset_for_js('dataviz-common.js') }}"></script>
+  <script defer src="{{ asset_for_js('data-landing.js') }}"></script>
 {% endblock %}
diff --git a/fec/fec/static/js/modules/election-map.js b/fec/fec/static/js/modules/election-map.js
index e908d2a6d3..c36cb9c509 100644
--- a/fec/fec/static/js/modules/election-map.js
+++ b/fec/fec/static/js/modules/election-map.js
@@ -234,8 +234,9 @@ ElectionMap.prototype.handleReset = function(e) {
  */
 ElectionMap.prototype.hide = function() {
   this.elm.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
-  this.mapMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
-  this.mapApproxMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+  if (this.mapMessage) this.mapMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
+  if (this.mapApproxMessage)
+    this.mapApproxMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
 };
 
 /**
@@ -243,8 +244,9 @@ ElectionMap.prototype.hide = function() {
  */
 ElectionMap.prototype.show = function() {
   this.elm.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
-  this.mapMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
-  this.mapApproxMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
+  if (this.mapMessage) this.mapMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
+  if (this.mapApproxMessage)
+    this.mapApproxMessage.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
 };
 
 module.exports = {
diff --git a/fec/fec/templates/base.html b/fec/fec/templates/base.html
index f33bbc7004..951c63da53 100644
--- a/fec/fec/templates/base.html
+++ b/fec/fec/templates/base.html
@@ -161,8 +161,8 @@ <h2 style="color: #ffffff">Your browser is outdated</h2>
     </script>
 
     {# Global javascript #}
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'vendor.js' %}"></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'init.js' %}"></script>
+    <script defer type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'vendor.js' %}"></script>
+    <script defer type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'init.js' %}"></script>
     <script>
       var canSkipPolyfills = ('fetch' in window && 'assign' in Object);
       if (!canSkipPolyfills) {
diff --git a/fec/fec/templates/home_base.html b/fec/fec/templates/home_base.html
index 8c30630303..283363e900 100644
--- a/fec/fec/templates/home_base.html
+++ b/fec/fec/templates/home_base.html
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 <html lang="en">
   <head>
     {% include 'partials/meta-tags.html' %}
+    <link rel="preload" as="image" href="/static/img/Homepage-hero-image-flag.jpg">
     {% include 'partials/meta-tags-preloads.html' %}
     {% if settings.FEC_CMS_ENVIRONMENT == 'PRODUCTION' %}
     {% include 'partials/meta-tags-preconnects.html' %}
@@ -158,8 +159,8 @@ <h2 style="color: #ffffff">Your browser is outdated</h2>
 
 
     {# Global javascript #}
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'vendor.js' %}"></script>
-    <script type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'init.js' %}"></script>
+    <script defer type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'vendor.js' %}"></script>
+    <script defer type="text/javascript" src="{% asset_for_js 'init.js' %}"></script>
 
 
     {% block extra_js %}
diff --git a/fec/home/templates/home/home_page.html b/fec/home/templates/home/home_page.html
index 68107c3594..2a05c7b599 100644
--- a/fec/home/templates/home/home_page.html
+++ b/fec/home/templates/home/home_page.html
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ <h2 id="hero-heading">Protecting the integrity of the campaign finance process</
   {% home_page_banner_announcement %}
   
   <section class="slab">
-    {% comment %} 
+    {% comment %}
     Below is for featured icon+links in Wagtail html block only...for now. 
     {% endcomment %}
     {% for block in self.body %}
@@ -105,31 +105,42 @@ <h1>Commissioners</h1>
   if (!canSkipPolyfills) {
     var pfScriptElem = document.createElement('script');
     pfScriptElem.async = false;
+    pfScriptElem.defer = false;
     pfScriptElem.src = "{% asset_for_js 'polyfills.js' %}";
     document.head.appendChild(pfScriptElem);
   }
 </script>
-<script src="{% asset_for_js 'home.js' %}"></script>
-<script src="{% asset_for_js 'bythenumbers.js' %}"></script>
-<script src="{% asset_for_js 'dataviz-common.js' %}"></script>
-<script src="{% asset_for_js 'election-lookup.js' %}"></script>
+<script defer src="{% asset_for_js 'home.js' %}"></script>
+<script defer src="{% asset_for_js 'bythenumbers.js' %}"></script>
+<script defer src="{% asset_for_js 'election-lookup.js' %}"></script>
 <script>
-  //remove competing/confusing querystrings on homepage
-  $(function(){
-    cleanURI()
-    function cleanURI(){
-      const uri = window.location.toString();
-      if (uri.indexOf('?') > 0) {
-        window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, location.href.split('?')[0]);
-      }
-    }
-    $('#main').on('change ', 'input, select', function(){
-      cleanURI();
-    })
-    //handle Chrome insconsistency with History API
-    $('.js-office').val('S');
-    $('.js-election-year').val('2022')
-    $('.js-chart-toggle').filter('[value=receipts]').prop('checked', true)
+function removeQueryParams() {
+  let uri = window.location.toString();
+  if (uri.indexOf('?') > 0) {
+    window.history.replaceState({}, document.title, location.href.split('?')[0]);
+  }
+}
+
+window.addEventListener('pageshow', () => {
+  removeQueryParams()
+  // Handle Chrome insconsistency with History API
+  document.querySelectorAll('#main input, #main select').forEach(element => {
+    element.addEventListener('change', e => {
+      removeQueryParams();
+    });
+  });
+  
+  document.querySelectorAll('.js-office').forEach(element => {
+    element.value = 'S';
+  });
+  
+  document.querySelectorAll('.js-election-year').forEach(element => {
+    element.value = '2022';
+  });
+
+  document.querySelectorAll('.js-chart-toggle[value="receipts"]').forEach(element => {
+    element.checked = true;
   });
+});
 </script>
 {% endblock %}
