Repeals Executive Order 14248, which is related to preserving and protecting the integrity of American Elections, and restricts federal oversight of state election data.
Alejandro "Alex" Padilla
Senator
CA
The "Defending Americas Future Elections Act" repeals Executive Order 14248, which is related to preserving and protecting the integrity of American elections. It prevents the executive order's implementation and restricts the use of federal funds to access state voter registration and election-related records. This act reinforces that Congress and the States have authority over elections, not the President.
New Bill Moves to Repeal Trump Election Order, Blocks Federal Access to State Voter Data
A piece of legislation called the 'Defending Americas Future Elections Act' is making its way through the process, aiming squarely at Executive Order 14248 – an order issued by President Trump on March 25, 2025, focused on election integrity. This bill doesn't just disagree with the executive order; it proposes to repeal it entirely, arguing that the order steps beyond the President's authority, conflicts with the Constitution, and could potentially prevent eligible citizens from voting.
Hitting Rewind on Election Oversight
The core action here is the complete repeal of Executive Order 14248. According to the bill's text (Section 3), this means the order couldn't be implemented, administered, or enforced. The legislation argues that the U.S. Constitution gives Congress and individual states—not the President—the power to oversee federal elections. It references established laws like the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 and the Help America Vote Act of 2002 as the proper framework for managing voter registration and election administration, suggesting the executive order disrupts this established balance.
Keeping Federal Hands Off State Voter Rolls
Beyond just repealing the order, the bill takes another specific step (Section 4): it prohibits the Department of Government Efficiency from using any federal money to access certain state-level records. This includes state voter registration lists, records detailing how states maintain those lists (like removing ineligible voters), federal immigration databases (in the context of checking voter eligibility), or any other state records related to federal elections. Essentially, this provision aims to prevent this specific federal department, potentially acting under the now-repealed executive order's directives, from using federal funds to delve into the nuts and bolts of state-managed voter data. This reinforces the idea that managing voter lists is primarily a state function, funded and operated according to rules set by Congress and the states themselves.