Background

These best practices, data, and examples come from our nearly 2 decades of experience supporting state agencies to engage in voter registration under the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Impact

Federal Agency Voter Registration Estimates of Annual Impact

The potential impact of effective implementation of the EO is significant. In this fact sheet, we estimate the number of new or updated voter registrations that could be generated each year, if several key federal agencies make the most of the directive in this EO and create high-quality voter registration opportunities for the eligible people they serve.

We find that effective implementation of the Voting Access EO at key agencies could result in approximately 3 million new or updated voter registrations per year. These findings argue for robust implementation of the Voting Access EO by these key agencies (and others). This can be achieved if agencies that have already made strong public commitments related to voter registration and voting access follow through on their commitments, and those who have not yet committed to high-impact activities make and swiftly follow through on such pledges.

Download the full factsheet to learn more

Resources

Why & How to Do Voter Registration at Federal Agencies

Download the Slide Deck

A quick and accessible explainer of the potential for impact with robust voter registration at key federal agencies, as well as an overview of how to do voter registration well at these agencies.


Best Practices for Federal Agency Voter Registration

Detailed guidance on how to conduct effective voter registration at federal agenciesbased on lessons from state agency voter registration via the NVRA, for agency staff engaged in the implementation of the Voting Executive Order.


Sample List of Federal Agencies & Programs for Voter Registration

Download the list as a PDF 

A short, non-exhaustive list of federal programs that are good candidates for voter registration, which we will update over time.

  • Social Security Administration (SSA), particularly through its administration of the SSI and SSDI programs
  • U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), part of the Department of Homeland Security, at naturalization ceremonies
  • Department of Education, particularly through its administration of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form
  • Health and Human Services (HHS), particularly through its administration of healthcare.gov, navigator assistance programs, and Head Start programs; among Indian Health Services (IHS) facilities through programs like Community Health Representatives (CHR), the Tribal Injury Prevention Cooperative Agreement Program (TIPCAP); and through additional programs serving Native Americans like as Tribal TANF, Tribal TANF Child Welfare program, and Native Employment Works
  • Housing and Urban Development (HUD), particularly through the Public Housing Operating Fund, through service coordinator programs like multifamily housing service coordinators and housing counselors, and through any other applicable housing programs for low-income communities
  • Veterans Affairs (VA), particularly through its medical, homelessness, and vocational rehabilitation and employment services for veterans with disabilities—including the Veteran Readiness and Employment Program, the Transition Assistance Program and Chapter 36 - Personalized Career Planning and Guidance program—and through the GI Bill online application and the disability online application for compensation (form 526ez)
  • Department of Labor (DOL), particularly through Job Corps, the Transition Assistance Program, and Reentry Employment Opportunities programs like Pathways Home
  • Department of Treasury, particularly through its financial services like Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program, Low-Income Taxpayer Clinics (LITC), and Tax Counseling for the Elderly
  • Department of State, at passport offices and through online passport renewals
  • Department of the Interior (DOI) via the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Bureau of Indian Education, and through any other applicable programs serving Native Americans, as well as the National Park Service 
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), particularly through its food commodity programs and housing assistance programs like the Section 502 Mortgage Loan program, Section 515 Rental Loan Program, and Rural Rental Housing Assistance 
  • The United States Postal Service, through post offices in our communities

Voter Registration Responsibilities of Designated Federal Agencies

This document details the specific legal requirements for federal agencies designated as voter registration sites under the NVRA, and it provides detailed guidance on how these designated federal agencies should implement these required voter registration services.

It draws on the many years of experience of state agency-based voter registration and includes examples of processes from many states such as Arkansas, Arkansas, California, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Louisiana, New Mexico and North Carolina.

Download the PDF


How to Integrate Voter Registration into Federal Healthcare Exchange

This document provides guidance to Health and Human Services (HHs) and Center for Medicare & Medicaid Service (CMS) for effectively incorporating robust voter registration services into the federal healthcare exchange, including healthcare.gov, and provides several lessons and examples of effective integration of voter registration into state-run healthcare exchanges. 

Download the PDF


Federal Agency Voter Registration is Nonpartisan

Explanation of why voter registration at agencies—both state and federal—is strictly nonpartisan and sample training materials for agency staff.


Recommendations for Improving the Accessibility of Vote.gov

In this comment, we provide recommendations for addressing some barriers to voter registration faced by voters with disabilities and voters who are Limited English proficient.


Summary of Recommendations for Improving the Accessibility of Vote.gov

A summary of our recommendations for improving the accessibility of Vote.gov, and some specific examples of improvements that can be made.


How States Can Lead to Advance Voter Registration at Federal Agencies

Voter registration operates as a tool of racist voter suppression and has long been weaponized to silence communities of color.  Advocates and Election Officials in states have the opportunity to change this by designating federal agencies in their states as sites of voter registration.


Sample Federal Agency Designation Letter for States

Many states can designate federal agencies via a simple letter from their chief election official. This sample letter is directed to USCIS, but it can be adapted for any federal agency/program.

Download the Sample Letter


How to Conduct Voter Registration at Indian Health Service Facilities

This document provides guidance to Indian Health Service (IHS) on how to effectively integrate robust voter registration services into interactions with patients at IHS facilities. It provides valuable information for both federally- and tribally-run facilities based on experience offering voter registration in other health contexts, like Medicaid offices and VA facilities.

Download the PDF

Related Research

Toward a More Representative Electorate

Years of experience conducting voter registration at state agencies shows the tremendous potential for impact of federal agency voter registration. In demonstrating the impact of the NVRA in the states, this report suggests that robust voter registration at federal agencies would further close racialized and income-based registration gaps and advance a more inclusive democracy.