Executive Order 12926: Implementation of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993
President: Bill Clinton
Directed federal assistance to state voter-registration agencies and procedures at military recruiting offices; later orders changed the federal-agency designation policy.
Status: Superseded. Is Executive Order 12926 still in effect? No. Executive Order 12926 was superseded. See Executive Order 14019: Promoting Access to Voting.
What does Executive Order 12926 do?
EO 12926 implements the National Voter Registration Act by directing federal entities that support public-assistance or disability programs to guide and assist state agencies, and by directing Defense to develop voter-registration procedures at Armed Forces recruiting offices. Its section 3 encouraged federal agencies to accept state designation as voter-registration agencies. EO 14019 expressly superseded that section in 2021. EO 14148 revoked EO 14019 in 2025 but did not say that the displaced 1994 text was restored, so the safest current reading distinguishes the continuing first two sections from the superseded third.
Before and after
Before the order
The new NVRA required federal cooperation but lacked this executive implementation assignment.
After the order
Relevant agencies had guidance, assistance and military recruiting-office coordination duties.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Assistance agencies | Guide and assist state NVRA implementation | Within authority and available funds |
| Defense | Coordinate registration procedures at recruiting offices | As required by the NVRA |
What happened next
EO 12926 assigned implementation duties.
EO 14019 superseded section 3.
EO 14148 revoked EO 14019 without expressly reviving section 3.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The NVRA is controlling law. The order cannot expand eligibility or override state rules consistent with federal statute; its section 3 succession history requires care because repeal of a superseding order does not automatically state a revival.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — EO 12926 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- U.S. Code — National Voter Registration Act (opens in a new tab) Official record
- GovInfo — EO 14019 (opens in a new tab) Order text
- GovInfo — EO 14148 (opens in a new tab) Order text
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 14, 2026. How we research →