The ongoing debate intensifies over President Joe Biden’s executive order that seeks to simplify voter registration through federal agency involvement.
According to Breitbart, this order passed in March 2021, is now a hot topic as the 2024 presidential election draws near. However, the GOP has taken action to destroy this very executive order.
The Republican Party argues that the order could turn governmental agencies into tools for partisan gain. They question the constitutional validity of this action and fear it could unfairly influence the upcoming election.
President Biden signed the executive order on March 7, 2021, with the primary goal of making voter registration easier for all eligible U.S. citizens. The initiative involves updates to the website vote.gov and provisions for offering voting information in multiple languages.
The order laid out specific instructions for key departments. The Department of Defense was directed to facilitate voter registration for military personnel, while the Department of Justice focused on individuals in federal custody.
Republicans, however, see this as a potential overstep of authority by the executive branch. This view has led them to initiate several counters, including legal challenges and legislative proposals aimed at repealing the order.
The opposition has not been limited to rhetoric. Over the past years, Republican secretaries of state and congressional members have expressed their concerns more formally. In May 2022, GOP secretaries requested the Supreme Court to examine the legality of Biden’s order, signaling a serious escalation in their opposition efforts.
Through 2022 and into early 2024, scrutiny increased, with Republicans issuing subpoenas for a closer investigation into how federal agencies have been implementing the order. Former White House official Justin Levitt has defended the actions under the order, emphasizing their legitimacy and alignment with the requests from states. "Most of what the agencies have done is directly what states have asked them to do or clarified the rules to make sure people know what the rules are,” he stated.
Mac Warner, West Virginia Secretary of State, sees challenges in incorporating federal agencies into voter registration, suggesting that it complicates the administrative process for election officials.
David Becker, a former DOJ lawyer, argues that such portray commendable efforts. "It’s portrayed as some deep-state power grab when in reality it’s an effort to ensure that eligible citizens who are engaging with the government can easily register or have their registration updated,” Becker noted.
Here is what Robyn Patterson, a White House spokesperson, said in response to the Republican claims against the executive order, "These are baseless claims brought by the very people who spread debunked lies about the 2020 elections and have used those same debunked lies to advance laws across the nation that make it harder to vote and easier to undermine the will of the people."
The debate surrounding voter registration through federal channels highlights a broader national discourse on voter access versus election security. While one side views these efforts as crucial for maintaining electoral integrity and encouraging participation, the other sees potential for misuse and unconstitutional overreach.
As the 2024 election approaches, the effectiveness and judicial review of the executive order will remain a focal point of contention. The order’s fate could have significant implications on how Americans register to vote and how their votes are managed and counted. Debate and legal actions are likely to continue as the nation gears up for another presidential election.
