Prairie State Wire

President Joe Biden signed off on an executive order aimed at promoting greater access to the ballot box.

The directive comes as Democrats are in the midst of advancing a wide-ranging voting and elections bill supporters insist is meant to counter Republican-led efforts to restrict voting access.

“Every eligible voter should be able to vote and have it counted,” Biden said in prepared remarks at the recent Martin and Coretta King Unity Breakfast, the Chicago Sun-Times reported on March 7. “If you have the best ideas, you have nothing to hide. Let the people vote.”

Among other things, Biden’s order directs federal agencies to expand access to voter registration and election information, calls come up with plans to give federal employees time off to vote or volunteer as nonpartisan poll workers and pushes an overhaul of the government’s Vote.gov website.

Elements of the voting rights bill seek to restrict partisan gerrymandering of congressional districts and provide greater transparency to the campaign finance system.