Biden Executive Order to Improve Voting Access Shows Strong Commitment to Making Our Elections Fairer

WASHINGTON – President Biden on Sunday issued an executive order to improve voting access, calling on federal agencies to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and participate in the electoral process. 

Also, for the first time, the executive order directs the Attorney General of the United States to establish procedures to provide for voter education, registration and voting in the Bureau of Prisons. Historically, the inability to share this kind of data with election administrators served as a key barrier to achieving equity with voting access. 

Statement by Trevor Potter, president of Campaign Legal Center, and a Republican former Chairman of the Federal Election Commission: 

“This executive order – combined with White House support for the For the People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act – shows a strong commitment by the Biden-Harris Administration to making our elections freer, fairer and more inclusive. By deploying the resources of the federal government to protect voting rights, America can streamline its voter registration process and improve on its record-setting voter participation in 2020. This executive order represents the kind of progress that serves as a fitting honor to the legacy of Congressman John Lewis on Bloody Sunday. Follow-through on this executive order will be key to ensuring the administration meets its laudable goal of allowing all eligible Americans to participate in our democracy.