King Cosponsors Effort to Repeal Anti-Voter Executive Order

April 02, 2025
WASHINGTON, D.C.— U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) joined his colleagues on legislation that would defend voting rights for all Americans. TheDefending America’s Future Elections Actwould repeal anExecutive Order(EO) that instructs the federal government to review voter registration lists and inserts the federal government into each state’s voting process to prosecute election crimes in states the White House believes are not in compliance with federal law. If implemented, the burdensome voter documentation requirements in the executive order would likely disenfranchise millions of eligible American voters.
In addition to repealing the executive order, the legislation prevents any federal funds from being transferred to or used by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to access state voter registration lists, records concerning voter list maintenance activities, federal databases, or other public or private state records related to federal elections. This provision is important because the EO provides DOGE with subpoena power to pursue this data, which could be used to purge eligible voters from state voter rolls. Noncitizen voting is already a federal crime and incredibly rare, with ananalysis of Heritage Foundation dataidentifying only 68 such cases out of nearly 2 billion votes cast over four decades.
“Since its ratification in 1788, the U.S. Constitution has guided America’s system of government and has been the blueprint for freedom and democracy around the globe,”SenatorKing said.“The continued success of our unique experiment in self-government relies on each successive generation understanding our shared past, national values, and the framers’ careful – though imperfect – work. If we truly want a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, we must make sure the people have the tools and perspective needed to play their part. TheDefending America’s Future Elections Actwould ensure that the people can continue to vote for the elected officials that they believe best represent their interests. Not only is this Executive Order illegitimate, it’s also inefficient – there are laws and election boards already in place to maintain the sanctity of the vote.”
Joining King on the legislation are Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Jack Reed (D-RI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).
Senator King has long championed increasing civic engagement and historical literacy, especially among younger Americans. As a former member of the Senate Rules Committee, he previously introduced a bipartisan bill, theCivics Secure Democracy Act, which would make a $1 billion annual investment in civics and history at K-12 and higher education institutions across the country. He alsointroduced bipartisan legislationto designate aNational High School Seniors Voter Registration Dayto encourage school districts nationwide to help high school seniors register to vote.
Full text of the bill is availablehere.
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