Christine Palm

The right to vote is one of our most sacred rights. With several states across the country pushing laws that would severely restrict that right (including here in Connecticut by certain members of the Government Administration and Elections Committee, which I wrote about in a recent op-ed), I have heard from many of you about the need to make voting in our state more accessible. Two key bills were recently approved in the GAE Committee (of which I am a member) which would allow for early voting and no-excuse absentee voting in our state. I am particularly pleased that language from the no-excuse voting bill that I introduced was incorporated into the legislation which passed out of committee.

The effort to ensure widespread access to the polls has now expanded to the federal level. Recently, President Biden signed an executive order to ensure all eligible citizens can make their voices heard through the electoral process.

According to the White House, the order will do the following:

Direct federal agencies to expand access to voter registration and election information. The executive order will direct the head of each federal agency to submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy a strategic plan outlining ways their agency can promote voter registration and participation within 200 days. These strategic plans could include actions such as:

• Leveraging agencies’ existing websites and social media to provide information about how to register to vote
• Distributing voter registration and vote-by-mail ballot applications in the course of regular services
• Considering whether any identity documents issued by the agency can be issued in a form that satisfies state voter identification laws

Direct federal agencies to assist states under the National Voter Registration Act. The Executive Order reaffirms the intent of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) of 1993 to have federal agencies assist with voter registration efforts.

Improve and modernize Vote.gov. The Executive Order will direct the General Services Administration (GSA) to submit to the Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy a strategic plan outlining steps to modernize and improve the user experience of the federal government’s premier source of voting-related information, Vote.gov, including the accessibility of the website within 200 days.

Increase federal employees’ access to voting. The Executive Order will direct the Director of the Office of Personnel Management to work with the head of federal agencies to provide recommendations to the President regarding leave for federal employees to vote or to volunteer as nonpartisan poll workers, ensuring that the federal government serves as a model to other employers.

Analyze barriers to voting for people with disabilities. The Executive Order will direct the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to evaluate and publish recommendations on the steps needed to ensure that the online Federal Voter Registration Form is accessible to people with disabilities within 200 days.  The order directs NIST—in consultation with the Department of Justice, the Election Assistance Commission, and other agencies—to analyze barriers to private and independent voting for people with disabilities, including access to voter registration, voting technology, voting by mail, polling locations, and poll worker training.

Increase voting access for active duty military and other overseas voters. The Executive Order will direct the Secretary of Defense within 200 days to establish procedures to annually offer each member of the Armed Forces on active duty the opportunity to register to vote in federal elections, update voter registration, or request an absentee ballot. Additionally, the Secretary of Defense—in coordination with the Department of State, the Military Postal Service Agency and United States Postal Service—is required to submit a strategic plan for an end-to-end ballot tracking system for overseas ballots.

Provide voting access and education to citizens in federal custody. The order will direct the Attorney General to establish procedures to provide educational materials related to voter registration and voting, and to facilitate voter registration for all eligible individuals in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The order also directs the Attorney General to take steps to support formerly incarcerated individuals in obtaining a means of identification that satisfies state voter identification laws.

To read more about the important changes in this executive order, visit the White House website.