A sign for voter registration stands in Columbia, S.C., in 2024.
Sean Rayford/Getty Images
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Sean Rayford/Getty Images
President Trump on Monday revoked an executive order by former President Joe Biden that calls for federal agencies to promote voter registration.
The move comes after Republican officials ramped up efforts to turn the 2021 order into a partisan flash point ahead of the 2024 election.
GOP officials claimed — with no substantial evidence — that through this order, the Biden administration overstepped its authority and tried to generate more Democratic voters.
Federal laws, however, ban federal employees from favoring one political party over another when promoting voter registration. And the now-rescinded order covered longstanding federal agencies’ voter registration efforts that are authorized under federal laws — including the State and Defense Departments helping eligible military members and other U.S. citizens living abroad vote.
Biden’s order led to new voter registration guides, mailers, updated websites and programs such as Veteran Affairs facilities in Kentucky and Michigan distributing and helping eligible voters fill out registration forms.
It’s not clear what immediate impact Trump’s decision to revoke the order will have on efforts to promote more sign-ups among eligible voters.
Edited by Benjamin Swasey
