(IntegrityTimes.com) – With every election, voter registration becomes a bigger issue. Increasing voter turnout in areas where one party is more represented than others can swing an election. The America First Policy Institute (AFPI) launched an investigation on Wednesday July 10 as they suspect that the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) voter registration efforts to be partisan. The SBA’s efforts are part of Executive Order 14019, which requires federal agencies to promote voter engagement. Currently they are focused on Michigan which is a key swing state. Some conservatives have raised concerns that the SBA may be misusing public funds for partisan purposes, as their concentration on Michigan could disproportionately benefit Democrats.
AFPI has demanded access to communications between the White House, SBA, and Michigan officials through a Freedom of Information Act request. Internal documents obtained by the Foundation for Government Accountability revealed meetings between the White House and left-leaning organizations. In these meetings they discussed voter registration strategies, including registering newly naturalized immigrants and increasing voter rights for prisoners. They were apparently also very interested in expanding voting materials for non-English speakers.
AFPI chairwoman Linda McMahon has suggested that the SBA’s actions could potentially be a violation of the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities. Some congressional Republicans and conservative groups have expressed similar concerns and questioned the legality as well as the impartiality of the voter registration efforts. Foundation for Government Accountability legal director Stewart Whitson commented that the executive order seemed designed to target likely Democrat voters specifically.
Wisconsin Republican Representative Bryan Steil has issued subpoenas to 15 Biden Cabinet officials to obtain documents related to their agencies’ compliance with the executive order. McMahon doubtfully remarked that it is to be hoped that SBA will be nonpartisan in their voter registration effort. However, as Michigan is a crucial swing state, he said there is no guarantee of that. Scrutiny over the SBA’s voter registration program indicates that trust is a scarce commodity in American politics.
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