Trump’s allies have found a new way to try and rig election rules before the 2026 midterms. They’ve petitioned the Election Assistance Commission (a small federal agency meant to safeguard fair elections) to change the federal voter registration form.
Just like his executive order on elections earlier this year failed to do (because it was blocked by a judge), they want to force Americans to present specific, expensive government documents that prove citizenship to register to vote. Because this proposal doesn’t allow for birth certificates to be used as proof, it goes beyond the SAVE Act – a voter suppression bill that calls for essentially the same change to voter registration.
The impact would be massive. More than 21 million Americans don’t have documents to prove their citizenship readily available. Nearly half of U.S. adults don’t have a passport. Married women who’ve changed their names, students, rural voters, and communities of color would be hit hardest.
Already, there are over 3,000 public comments on the Election Assistance Commission (EAC)’s proposed rule change, many showing support. The rule change is being pushed by America First Legal, founded by Stephen Miller – a Trump White House deputy chief of staff and architect of MAGA’s most extreme policies.
They’re trying to make voting harder through an obscure regulatory process that most Americans aren’t even aware of – and they want to manufacture the illusion of grassroots demand. It’s underhanded and unAmerican. But we can fight back.
How You Can Fight Back
The EAC is accepting public comments until October 20. Public comment is part of the federal rulemaking process – when government agencies consider a new policy, they’re required to give the public a chance to weigh in.
Submitting a comment is your opportunity to put your perspective on the record, alongside thousands of others, before the agency makes its decision. And it just takes a couple of minutes.
Click the link below, type your message, and hit submit. You can post under your name and even include your email to receive a confirmation number – or keep your name private if you prefer.
Here’s a sample you can use or adapt:
“This rule change would require Americans to present specific, expensive government documents to register to vote. It’s being sold as ‘election security’ but it’s a trick – citizenship is already required by law to vote and an estimated 21 million citizens (at least) lack ready access to these documents. This only creates unnecessary barriers that burden eligible voters, particularly from rural communities, women who’ve changed their last name, and working families. I oppose this rule change, it will only prevent eligible Americans from exercising their constitutional right to vote.”
Here’s the link to submit a comment: regulations.gov/commenton/EAC-2025-0236-0001
We need to make our voices heard – the far-right thinks they can get away with this. If we flood the comments with pro-voting voices, we’ll show they’re a fringe minority trying to make voting harder.
The Stakes for 2026
The Republican Party is trying to change election rules and make our system unfair – to make sure they stay in power.
Americans deserve to have our say in 2026. When politicians pass hugely unpopular bills that harm our families and hand tax breaks to the super rich, ‘we the people’ have every right to send them packing – that’s why we have elections.
If the 2026 midterms are fair, Republicans will likely lose control of the U.S. House of Representatives because they’re supporting Trump’s toxic and unpopular agenda.
They know this – that’s why they’re redrawing congressional maps, advancing the SAVE Act, and using debunked false claims about immigrants and Trump’s 2020 loss to justify making voting harder.
We’ve beaten “show your papers” laws like this before – in Congress, in the courts, and in the states. Now it’s time to stop them at the EAC.
Submit your comment. Then share the link – send it in your group chats, post it to your Instagram story, share it in your community groups. Every single comment matters.
Deadline: October 20.
Fair Fight Team
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