AAPD Explains Executive Order
American Association of People with Disabilities, AAPD published a great article on March 25, 2025 titled Election Executive Order Explainer: What’s Going On With Voting Right Now, and How Does It Impact Disabled Voters? A few parts are excerpted below, but please read the whole article!
“This EO proposes many changes to how our elections work, including voter eligibility, maintaining voter registration lists, vote-by-mail processes, which voting machines can be used, and who is responsible for managing elections. AAPD is highly concerned that if any aspects of this EO go into effect, voters with disabilities and other marginalized communities will be disproportionately harmed. Already, disabled voters face increased challenges in accessing their right to vote because of policies and practices that make voting difficult. The policies in this Executive Order are voter suppression tactics – policies that make it harder for many Americans to vote. “
What Does the Elections Executive Order Say?
- Requires proof of citizenship to vote – Millions of American citizens do not have access to the documents required by this law, which means that millions of eligible voters would not be able to participate in our democracy. Disabled people, older adults, voters of color, and voters who may have changed their names, like people who take their spouses’ names when they get married, are less likely to have these documents or have up-to-date documents.
- Changes vote-by-mail procedures proposes that mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, even if they are postmarked with an earlier date, cannot be counted.
- Changes voting machine types and certification processes – The EO wants to limit the types of voting machines that polling locations are allowed to use and proposes that the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) re-certify all voting systems. The EO notes an exception for accommodating people with disabilities. The EO also requires that all voting methods have a “voter-verifiable paper record.”
Paper ballots are not accessible to some voters with disabilities, particularly individuals who are blind, have low vision, have difficulty reading or understanding print, or cannot physically hold their ballots.
- Attempts to direct an independent bipartisan entity – The EO directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to carry out and enforce the administration’s proposed policies.
- Establishes federal voter rolls – The EO directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to review state voter registration lists, specifically to verify that no ineligible voters are on them. Under current federal law, state governments and Secretaries of State are responsible for maintaining voter lists.
AAPD Explains the SAVE ACT
The article goes on to describe the SAVE Act which Congress is considering.
“If passed, the SAVE Act would require people to provide documented proof of citizenship in person when registering to vote and updating their voter registration, such as after a move. The SAVE Act would also make it harder for women who changed their last name after marriage.
Millions of voters do not have access to documents that would sufficiently meet the requirements that qualify as “documentary proof of citizenship,” such as U.S. passports. People with disabilities, older adults, and people of color may be especially unlikely to have access to these documents. The requirement of needing to go in person would make voter registration difficult or impossible for many disabled voters who do not have access to accessible transportation, are living in congregate settings, are immuno-compromised and cannot go into many public spaces, or for whom the election office may not be accessible. Additionally, the in-person requirement would make it extremely difficult for individual organizers, coalitions, and organizations to host successful voter registration drives. This would lead to communities already excluded by get-out-the-vote efforts being further neglected.
AAPD urges members of the disability community and our allies to contact their U.S. Representatives and Senators to tell them to vote “no” on the SAVE Act.
AAPD is the national organizer of REV UP!
