CED Newsletters & Policy Alerts

Action: Executive Order “Initial Recession of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions” 

What it does: The Executive Order rescinding many Orders of the Biden Administration revoked Executive Order 14019 of March 7, 2021 (Promoting Access to Voting). That Order had directed all Federal agencies to “consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.” 

Key Insights: 

• Repeal of the Order followed congressional subpoenas sent last year to Cabinet Departments by the House Administration Committee inquiring about the statutory basis for implementing the Executive Order (for instance, how the Transportation Department was complying with the Order given the statutory limits of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the “motor voter” law). Also last year, by Republican state lawmakers in Pennsylvania alleging that the provisions of the Order exceeded state law. A US District Court dismissed the suit, and the US Supreme Court declined to hear a challenge to the Order.  

• Supporters of the Order were also skeptical of its effectiveness; few Federal agencies established new partnerships with states on voter registration, compiled literature on the voting process, or updated websites. 

• For that reason, it is not yet clear how repeal of the Order will impact voter registration, which remains the responsibility of state and local governments.