Executive Order 13799: Establishment of Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity
President: Donald J. Trump
Created an advisory election-integrity commission; a later order terminated it before a final report.
Status: Completed/expired. Is Executive Order 13799 still in effect? No. Executive Order 13820 revoked Executive Order 13799 and terminated the commission on January 3, 2018.
What does Executive Order 13799 do?
President Trump established a temporary advisory commission to examine registration and voting in federal elections. Its assigned report concerned practices that increased or reduced public confidence and vulnerabilities that could permit improper registration or voting. The signed text made the body solely advisory: its job was to study and report, rather than administer elections, determine an individual voter’s eligibility or impose new requirements on states. Official source.
The Vice President chaired the commission. The President could appoint up to 15 additional members with relevant experience, and the Vice President could select a vice chair from among them. The commission was told to hold public meetings, engage election officials and experts where necessary, use support staff and avoid duplicating work already undertaken by government entities. Its existence was therefore a federal study arrangement, not a replacement for state election offices. Official source.
The definitions distinguished mistakes and ineligibility from intentional fraud. Improper registration could occur regardless of intent; fraudulent registration required knowingly and intentionally adding ineligible individuals. Improper voting included an ineligible nonprovisional ballot or voting in multiple jurisdictions, while fraudulent voting required knowledge that the conduct was illegal. Those distinctions defined the questions for the study, without establishing how frequently any conduct occurred. Official source.
Before and after
Before the order
Federal and state election laws already governed registration, eligibility and ballot administration. Before May 11, 2017, there was no commission established by this order to assemble the specified nationwide advisory report. The order left the legal authority of existing departments and agencies intact rather than reallocating responsibility for running elections. Official source.
After the order
The new commission could gather views and identify vulnerabilities, but the text did not grant it authority to amend voter rolls or prescribe binding election procedures. It was originally to terminate 30 days after delivering its report. A separate presidential act, EO 13820, ended the body and revoked its founding order on January 3, 2018, replacing that report-triggered termination arrangement. Official source.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| President | Appoint no more than 15 additional commissioners; select members with election or other relevant expertise. | No appointment deadline specified. |
| Vice President | Chair the commission and optionally select a vice chair from appointed members. | During the commission’s operation. |
| Election Integrity Commission | Study registration and voting; hold public meetings; engage officials and experts; deliver the advisory report. | No report deadline specified; original termination 30 days after submission. |
| General Services Administration / Administrator | Provide reimbursable administrative support within appropriations and perform applicable presidential Federal Advisory Committee Act functions except the section 6 function. | As needed while the commission operated. |
| Relevant executive departments and agencies | Endeavor to cooperate with the commission’s study. | During its work; no separate deadline. |
What happened next
Trump establishes the advisory commission. Official source
The commission holds its first public meeting; the archived White House publishes the meeting record. Official source
EO 13820 revokes EO 13799 and terminates the commission. Official source
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order invoked presidential constitutional and statutory authority without creating a new election offense or changing a voting qualification. It addressed the Federal Advisory Committee Act where applicable, preserved statutory agency powers and required implementation within available appropriations. Commission members received no additional compensation, although authorized travel expenses were allowed under 5 U.S.C. 5701–5707. The order also disclaimed enforceable private rights; that clause did not turn advisory recommendations into law. Official source.
Sources by type
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Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 23, 2026. How we research →