State and local election officials question agency about Trump's attempt to overhaul operations
Source: PBS News/AP
Apr 24, 2025 2:35 PM EDT
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — State and local election officials from around the country on Thursday questioned the leaders of a federal agency tasked by President Donald Trump with implementing parts of his sweeping election overhaul executive order, with some expressing concerns about the consequences for voters and the people in charge of voting.
The U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent and bipartisan federal agency, is at the center of Trump’s March 25 order that directs the commission to update the national voter registration form to include a proof-of-citizenship requirement and revise guidelines for voting systems. Trump also wants it to withhold federal money from any state that continues to accept ballots after Election Day even if they are postmarked by then.
Whether the Republican president can order an independent agency to act and whether the commission has the authority to do what Trump wants will likely be settled in court. A federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the proof-of-citizenship requirement from moving forward while the legal challenges over Trump’s executive order play out.
On Thursday, the commission’s Standards Board – a bipartisan advisory group of election officials from every state – held its annual meeting in North Carolina. It was among the first conversations held by those who oversee the nation’s voting on the implications of Trump’s executive order. The meeting was largely an opportunity for election officials to ask the four EAC commissioners about Trump’s executive order and share their concerns about its effects on election administration and voting.
Read more: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/state-and-local-election-officials-question-agency-about-trumps-attempt-to-overhaul-operations
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