AANHPI advocates urge Biden to strengthen voting access and rights for 2024

Efforts by federal departments to promote and protect voting rights has had mixed results after President Biden issued the Executive Order Promoting Access to Voting two years ago.

A recent report — Strengthening Democracy: A Progress Report on Federal Agency Action to Promote Access to Voting — commemorating the two-year anniversary of  the Voting Access executive order's announcement shows that while a few federal agencies are on the right track to completing implementation, several others have fallen behind and risk not achieving the order's potential before the end of 2024. 

A letter to Biden from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, a coalition of more than 230 national organizations committed to promoting and protectin civil and human rights, emphasized the need to implement the goals set out by the executive order before the next Presidential election in 2024.

The report found that it is becoming increasingly difficult to register to vote and cast a ballot despite Biden's order issued on the anniversary the Selma voting rights march.

Voter registration remains a hurdle for many eligible voters, particularly people of color, says the report. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 77% of white eligible voters are registered to vote, compared to only 69% of Black eligible voters, 61% of Latinx eligible voters, 64% of Asian American eligible voters, and 63% of Native American eligible voters. In the last presidential election, more than 63 million eligible voters were not registered to vote, according to the report

While a few federal agencies are on the right track to completing implementation, several others have fallen behind and risk not achieving the Voting Access EO’s potential before the end of 2024. 

The report focuses on 10 federal agencies, which were selected based on their potential for promoting access to registration and voting for large populations, feasibility of voter registration in their agency context, direct interaction with the public, and ability to reach marginalized communities in our political system — especially people of color, Asian Americans, African Americans, Latinos, people with disabilities, Native Americans, people with limited English proficiency, newly naturalized citizens, students, people with low incomes, and people directly impacted by the criminal-legal system.

According to the Leadership Conference, only three agencies — the Department of Interior, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Treasury — are on the right track to complete implementation and fully integrate voter registration services into their everyday interactions with the public. 

However, the report cites seven agencies that have slowed or stalled in their progress to implement the Voting Access executive order. "Accordingly, we urge the Biden-Harris administration to carry out the recommendations outlined in the report to fulfill the mandate of the EO," cites the letter.

The departments have fallen short in meeting their goals are:

• Department of Health and Human Services: Ensure the integration of a voter registration opportunity into the Healthcare.gov application is fully operational by the Fall 2023 open enrollment period; and launch the promised voting information hub for older adults and people with disabilities.

• US Marshals Service, Department of Justice: Ensure all eligible individuals in federal pre-trial custody have access to high quality voter registration services and assistance voting; make public the results of any internal assessments on these efforts; and leverage its contracts to ensure ballot access for all eligible voters, not just those in federal custody.

• Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice: Ensure all eligible individuals in federal prison across the country can access registration and voting services; and ensure that high-quality information about voting rights is consistently provided during incarceration and upon release.

• General Services Administration: Ensure Vote.gov is a user-friendly and accessible resource for all voters, regardless of disability status, language, conviction history, and geography.

• Indian Health Services, Department of Health and Human Services: Provide high-quality voter registration services, including assistance, at Indian Health Services facilities; and work with interested tribes to support voter registration opportunities at health facilities run by tribes.

• Department of Education: Improve voter registration opportunities for students at institutions of higher learning, including adding voter registration opportunities to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid “Student Aid Report.”

• US Citizenship and Immigration Services, Department of Homeland Security: Ensure all new citizens have access to high-quality voter registration services at or immediately after all naturalization ceremonies

"We urge the Biden-Harris administration to make fulfilling the promise of the Executive Order on Promoting Access to Voting a top priority in the final two years of this term," concludes the letter. "Now is the time to finish the job by fully implementing this administration’s strong commitment to protecting the right to vote and to ensure all federal agencies are prepared to support their constituents in participating in our democracy."

Among the 100 AANHPI signatories to the letter are:

Asian & Pacific Islander American Health Forum (APIAHF)
Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC
Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote)
Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO
Association of Asian Pacific Community Health Organizations (AAPCHO)

Japanese American Citizens League

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA)
National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF)
National Asian Pacific Americans Against Substance Abuse

National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA)

National Federation of Filipino American Associations (NaFFAA)

South Asian Public Health Association

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