National Vote at Home Institute —The National Vote at Home Institute is closely monitoring this week’s election-related executive order and working alongside state advocates to assess its potential impact. We remain steadfast in our commitment to protect every citizen’s right to vote in the way that best suits them, as well as upholding the constitutional authority of states to establish and oversee their own election processes.

Americans have utilized some form of mail-in voting for over 100 years. This order mandates that only ballots received by the close of polls on Election Day (except for military and overseas ballots) can be counted, threatening to disenfranchise thousands of working families, rural residents, disabled voters and seniors. This order would unilaterally overturn laws in 15 states and the District of Columbia which allow ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a designated grace period. One of the strengths of American elections is its decentralized system. This attempt to unilaterally overturn state election laws is not only a violation of states’ rights but is also likely to face significant legal challenges.

Beyond its legal overreach, this order threatens to disrupt well-established election procedures, create unnecessary confusion for voters who rely on mail ballot options, and impose financial and logistical burdens on states already managing complex election operations and budget constraints. Elections are already underway in communities across America. By forcing abrupt changes, it risks undermining election officials’ ability to conduct elections in a manner that best serves their voters.

Despite this and other attempts to undermine Vote at Home and sow confusion and distrust in our elections, the National Vote at Home Institute will continue our work to support state election administrators, champion policies that protect and expand voter access, and ensure that Vote at Home elections stay safe, secure and accessible to all.