OMB Proposal Could Bar Federal Grants for Voter-Registration Drives Serving Disabled Nebraskans

The White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is drafting a rule that would prohibit the use of federal grant money for voter-registration drives or “related activities.” The draft, published in May, would apply to the $10 million annually allocated by Congress to 57 nonprofit groups that assist voters with disabilities, including Disability Rights Nebraska. The rule is not slated to take effect until after the 2026 midterms, but its pending status is already prompting nonprofits to reconsider outreach ahead of the 2028 election.

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Disability Rights Nebraska received $141,000 in voter-accessibility funds this year and routinely registers voters at community events and assisted-living facilities. In the 2024 election, 3.6 % of registered voters with disabilities reported registration difficulties, versus 1.4 % of voters without disabilities—a statistically significant gap affecting roughly 740 000 disabled voters, according to a Rutgers University survey for the Election Assistance Commission. The organization’s staff reported that, among new voters they helped register, 30 % identified as Republican, 20 % as Democrat, and 50 % as nonpartisan or third-party affiliates.

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The 2002 Help America Vote Act created federal grants to assist people with disabilities in registering, voting, and accessing polls; those grants continue to be funded each year. Earlier, the Biden administration issued an executive order directing agencies to expand registration opportunities, which the Trump administration rescinded on its first day in office. The Department of Education also barred the use of work-study dollars for voting-related work, a directive that has faced litigation.

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Russell Vought, director of the OMB, has characterized the Biden order as a “power grab” that would increase voter registration and turnout among Democratic supporters. Legal scholars argue the proposal conflicts with the Constitution’s “power of the purse” vested in Congress and with longstanding grant provisions. Samuel Bagenstos, a law professor, described the rule as “a massive across-the-board power grab.”

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• “He 100% knew who he wanted to vote for,” — Without Amy Miller

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• “I don’t really think this rule had in mind that we are going to disenfranchise voters with disabilities. But it’s going to have that kind of effect,” — Rabia Belt, a Stanford law professor

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Disability Rights Nebraska has submitted a public comment opposing the rule and anticipates that the final OMB regulation will be challenged in court. The outcome will shape how federal funds can be used for voter-registration outreach to disabled Americans in upcoming election cycles.

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