New Election Bill Bans Federal Agencies from Partnering with NGOs on Voter Registration and Blocks Work-Study Student Involvement

The “Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act of 2025” is a targeted piece of legislation focused squarely on limiting the federal government’s role in voter registration and mobilization efforts. Simply put, this bill aims to pull the plug on most activities federal agencies might undertake to help citizens register to vote, especially those activities that were recently encouraged under Executive Order 14019.

The Takeaway: Federal Agencies Are Now Hands-Off

The central mechanism of this bill is a hard stop on agency partnerships. Specifically, Section 2 bans federal agencies from spending money to hire or sign agreements with outside, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) for voter registration or mobilization work. This means an NGO cannot use federal property, websites, or funding to hand out registration forms, provide voting instructions, or give information about candidates. If you’re an NGO that has partnered with, say, a VA hospital or a Social Security office to set up a voter drive, that partnership is now off the table. The bill also makes it clear that if Executive Order 14019 conflicts with the existing National Voter Registration Act of 1993, the 1993 Act wins.

The Paperwork Delay: Hitting the Brakes on EO 14019

For any activities directed by Executive Order 14019—which aimed to maximize voter registration opportunities at federal agencies—the bill imposes a mandatory delay. Agencies cannot implement these activities until 180 days after they submit a required report to Congress, or until the report is submitted, whichever is later. This procedural hurdle effectively slows down or indefinitely stalls any new voter access initiatives planned by federal departments. Within 30 days of this law passing, agency heads must also report their strategic plans for promoting voter participation to Congress, forcing an immediate internal review and disclosure of their current efforts.

The Campus Impact: No More Work-Study Voter Drives

This bill directly affects college students relying on financial aid. Section 2 modifies the Federal Work-Study program (under Section 443(b)(1) of the Higher Education Act of 1965). Moving forward, students in Work-Study programs are explicitly prohibited from using their work assignments to register or mobilize voters, whether that work happens on or off campus. If you were a student planning to work with a campus civic engagement office to register your peers, that specific job function—which often provides crucial community outreach—is no longer eligible for federal Work-Study funding. This removes a key source of manpower for non-partisan voter registration efforts, often run by colleges.

Who Feels the Change?

This legislation primarily impacts two groups. First, the voters who rely on these federal touchpoints—like getting registration forms at a public assistance office or a military base—will find those services reduced or eliminated, especially if they relied on NGO partners to staff them. Second, NGOs and college civic engagement programs lose a critical avenue for outreach and funding. While the bill’s stated purpose is to ensure fairness, its practical effect is to significantly restrict the means by which voter registration is promoted through federal government channels, potentially reducing voter access for populations that are harder to reach through traditional means.