Why It Matters

Federal executive branch measures issued under the Trump administration would reshape how state and local officials conduct elections, from voter registration and ballot mail to voting systems and records retention, according to a new Congressional Research Service (CRS) report. ​

The report notes that states and localities hold primary responsibility for election administration, while Congress has sometimes used its "override" authority to set national standards for federal elections. Several provisions described in the report are subject to litigation and have been blocked by courts as of the report's writing.

The Big Picture

Executive Order 14248, signed in 2025, directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to add documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal mail voter registration form and to condition grant access on states accepting updated versions.

The EAC reported initiating consultations with chief state election officials in April 2025, but those consultations were reportedly paused in response to a court order. Resignations and removals left the agency without commissioners as of July, and EAC staff indicated they do not believe they have authority to act without them.

Executive Order 14399, issued in 2026, directed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to initiate rulemaking to make certain ballot mail design recommendations mandatory. USPS finalized a rule in August reflecting those provisions, but federal district courts paused implementation in August and September.

The Supreme Court denied the administration's request for a stay of one lower-court order on Sept. 14, with the Court stating the government was unlikely to succeed on the merits. USPS has confirmed it will not enforce the rule for 2026.

In Watson v. Republican National Committee, decided June 29, the Supreme Court held that the federal election-day statutes cited in EO 14248 do not require ballots to be received by Election Day.

The Bottom Line

The EAC's lack of commissioners leaves proof-of-citizenship changes to the federal voter registration form and amendments to the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines unresolved, with agency staff saying they lack authority to act.

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