The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for Jan. 22, 2025
Today’s Script
(Variations occur with audio due to editing for time. Today’s Links below the script)
We recently reported on presidential orders, including executive orders, and how they’re used. Executive orders can also be used to revoke previous orders, and among President Donald Trump’s day-one orders was removing a policy of the federal government to promote access to voting.
Trump’s executive order, entitled “Initial Rescissions of Harmful Executive Orders and Actions,” terminated 78 of President Joe Biden’s orders, including Order 14019 from March 7, 2021, setting a policy for the federal government to promote access to voting.
Biden’s order, as noted on the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission website, QUOTE “Directed all federal agencies to ‘consider ways to expand citizens’ opportunities to register to vote and to obtain information about, and participate in, the electoral process.” This included ensuring equal access for voters with disabilities and non English-speaking Americans. It ensured voting opportunities for active duty military and overseas citizens, and established a federal ballot tracking system to assist those voters.
It created a federal working group to protect voting access for Native American voters, and it allowed time off for federal employees to vote and to serve as poll workers. Importantly, it supported modernization of the Vote.gov website. Although not included in day-one orders, Trump has also pledged to limit voting to election day only.
We have more on Trump’s day-one executive orders at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org. I’m Brian Beihl.
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
The White House – INITIAL RESCISSIONS OF HARMFUL EXECUTIVE ORDERS AND ACTIONS, Jan. 20, 2025
Federal Register – (2021) Executive Order 14019 of March 7, 2021
NPR – (2024) Republicans are turning Biden’s voter registration order into a partisan flash point
VOX – The Trump executive orders that threaten democracy
Washington Post – (Paywall likely) Here are the executive actions and orders Trump signed on Day 1
Groups Taking Action:
Native American Rights Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, League of Women Voters US
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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