WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) joined a group of 13 Senators led by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), and Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) in a letter to U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) Administrator Robin Carnahan regarding GSA’s implementation of President Biden’s 2021 Executive Order. The letter requests updates as the agency implements the Executive Order by modernizing Vote.gov to promote and increase voting access.

“The Voting Executive Order specifically instructed GSA to take steps to modernize and improve Vote.gov, an official website of GSA, in partnership with the Election Assistance Commission, agencies, and key stakeholders. The Executive Order’s section on vote.gov modernization requires the website (as well as the forms on it) to become accessible to people with disabilities, accessible to people who speak non-English languages, and –to the extent possible – fully usable as an online experience,” the lawmakers wrote.

With many federal agencies directing their users to Vote.gov, the letter highlights how the success of the administration’s efforts to promote voting hinge on the modernization and accessibility of the website.

“Vote.gov serves as the primary federal resource for voters to register to vote, check their voter registration status, and find voting information. These services are essential to the one in four eligible voters who are not registered to vote,” the lawmakers continued.

The Senators applaud the actions GSA has taken so far to implement the voting executive order—actions like translating voter information into 16 additional languages. The Senators emphasized the urgency and significance of swiftly continuing this progress and promptly implementing further changes needed to improve Vote.gov.

Specifically, the Senators asked GSA respond to the following requests:

(1) A complete outline of GSA’s implementation plan of the voting executive order;

(2) An accompanying status update and timeline on their execution and/or implementation; and

(3) The date the Administration expects the implementation and Vote.gov modernization to be substantially complete.

The letter is cosigned by U.S. Senators Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Jon Ossoff (D-GA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Mazie Hirono (D-HI).

  

To read the full text of the letter, click here.