How the federal government could promote voting access without HR 1

GOP Senators on Tuesday evening blocked their Democratic colleagues' attempt to advance the For the People Act, the sweeping election reform bill. This partisan gridlock in the evenly split Senate ensures a rocky path forward for any of the Democrats' legislative priorities.

However, there are still ways the federal government, namely the executive branch, can promote voter education and access to the ballot box. In March, President Joe Biden issued an executive order asking agencies to evaluate how they can, within their purview of the law, encourage voter registration and participation.

Federal agencies are expected to present their strategic plans for promoting voting access in late September. And voting rights experts want to make sure they stick to this promise.

With fewer than 100 days left until the plans are due, the Campaign Legal Center sent letters to six federal agencies outlining recommendations and best practices for promoting voting access. The agencies include the Department of Education, Election Assistance Commission and General Services Administration, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys, Federal Bureau of Prisons and U.S. Marshals Service.