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U.S. election officials question agency about Trump’s order overhauling election operations

Commissioner Donald Palmer speaks during a U.S. Election Assistance Commission Standards Board in-person public meeting, Thursday, April 24, 2025, in Charlotte, N.C. Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — State and local election officials from around the country on Thursday questioned the leaders of a federal agency directed by President Donald Trump to implement parts of his sweeping election overhaul executive order, with some expressing concerns about the consequences for voters and the people in charge of voting.

The U.S. Election Assistance Commission, an independent and bipartisan federal agency, is at the center of Trump’s March 25 order that directs the commission to update the national voter registration form to include a proof-of-citizenship requirement and revise guidelines for voting systems. Trump also wants it to withhold federal money from any state that continues to accept ballots after Election Day even if they are postmarked by then.

Whether the Republican president can order an independent agency to act and whether the commission has the authority to do what Trump wants will likely be settled in court.

A federal judge on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction blocking the proof-of-citizenship requirement from moving forward while the legal challenges over Trump's executive order play out.

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