Federal Elections Policy: Executive Orders, Legislation and County Impacts

County governments play a central role in administering elections across the United States. Counties are responsible for managing voter registration, operating polling locations, recruiting and training poll workers, processing mail in ballots, and certifying election results, serving millions of voters in each election cycle. On March 31, 2026, the White House issued Executive Order No. 14399, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” directing federal agencies to enhance citizenship verification processes, develop voter eligibility databases using federal records, and implement new controls on mail in voting procedures at the United States Post Office (USPS). This order could have implications for counties, including potential changes to voter registration processes, data sharing requirements, mail in ballot procedures, and overall election administration responsibilities.

NACo invites counties to join an educational webinar featuring state and local election experts to discuss the executive order and its potential impacts on county election administration. Leslie Reynolds of the National Association of Secretaries of State (NASS) will provide a state level perspective, including discussion of the executive order, the SAVE America Act (S. 1383), and other election issues with Isaac Kramer of Charleston County, South Carolina providing a local perspective, sharing how election officials should consider evaluating the order on the ground and the operational considerations involved.