What Happened?

How your state runs elections, who can register, how ballots are mailed, and what voting machines must meet, is under pressure from a series of federal actions, several of which are subject to litigation and have been blocked by courts. The Congressional Research Service (CRS) analyzed those actions in a new report. ​

States and localities hold primary responsibility for running elections, while Congress can step in to set national standards for federal races. The Trump administration issued executive orders directing changes to the federal voter registration form and to ballot mail design.

The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) had no commissioners as of July, after resignations and removals left it without members. EAC staff say they do not believe they have authority to act without commissioners in place.

Why Does it Matter to Me?

Changes to the federal voter registration form remain unresolved, and federal courts have paused a Postal Service rule on ballot mail design.

One executive order directed the EAC to add documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal mail voter registration form and to tie federal grant money to states accepting an updated version. The Election Assistance Commission has no commissioners, and its staff say they do not believe they have authority to act on those changes without them.

A separate order directed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to make certain ballot mail design rules mandatory. USPS finalized that rule in August, but courts paused it, and USPS has confirmed it will not enforce the rule for 2026.

Both Sides, Now

The Trump administration issued two executive orders that direct the Election Assistance Commission to add documentary proof-of-citizenship requirements to the federal mail voter registration form, and direct the U.S. Postal Service to make certain ballot mail design recommendations mandatory.

Opponents argue the federal actions overstep the administration's authority and improperly displace states' traditional role in running elections.

In October 2025, a federal court permanently blocked the part of an executive order that sought to impose citizenship-related requirements on voter registration, according to the Elias Law Group. In September 2026, a federal court blocked the USPS ballot mail rule, finding it could hinder mail voting, according to the Campaign Legal Center.

The Supreme Court denied the administration's request to lift one of those lower-court blocks on Sept. 14, stating the government was unlikely to succeed on the merits. Congress has not passed legislation to advance or block the executive orders, leaving the courts as the primary check.

What Happens Next?

In *Watson v. Republican National Committee*, decided June 29, the Supreme Court held that federal election-day statutes do not require ballots to be received by Election Day.

The EAC's lack of commissioners also leaves proposed changes to the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, the voluntary standards that voting machines are tested against, unresolved. New commissioners must be nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. However, no confirmation hearing has been announced, with Congress currently out of session in the lead-up to the midterm election.

Several provisions described in the CRS report remain subject to ongoing litigation. The central question heading into 2026: will the courts, Congress, or the EAC ultimately decide what the federal voter registration form looks like and how your mail ballot reaches the polls?

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