Biden's executive order doesn't give power to 'suspend presidential elections' | Fact check

Hannah Hudnall, USA TODAY
·3 min read
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The claim: Biden executive order would suspend presidential elections during pandemic

An April 26 Facebook post (direct link, archive link) includes a picture of armed soldiers walking towards flashing lights at night.

"PERMANENT TYRANNY FROM THIN AIR: Biden Issues Executive Order 14122," reads text above the picture.

The post's caption says, "Tyrant can suspend Presidential elections 'IF' a new pandemic hits the U.S.!"

Other versions of the claim were shared on Facebook.

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Our rating: False

The executive order in question doesn't mention anything about elections. It revokes COVID-19 executive orders deemed no longer necessary by the president and reallocates COVID-19 responsibilities to a previously created office of pandemic preparedness.

Executive order doesn't mention election suspension

The post misrepresents Executive Order 14122, which President Joe Biden signed on April 12. The order, titled, "COVID-19 and Public Health Preparedness and Response," assigns several COVID-19 preparedness responsibilities to the Office of Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy, which Congress created in December 2022. These responsibilities are outlined in executive orders 13987, 13994 and 13996, and include tasks such as coordinating the distribution of protective equipment and facilitating the publication of COVID-19-related data.

The order also revokes executive orders 13910, 13991 and 13998, which were signed in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic but have now been deemed "no longer necessary" by Biden. These orders cover guidelines regarding the hoarding of medical resources, mask-wearing requirements for federal employees and COVID-19 safety during travel.

Neither Executive Order 14122 nor any of the orders listed within it mention anything about suspending presidential elections.

The order even includes language detailing how it "shall be implemented consistent with applicable law" and shall not "be construed to impair or otherwise affect ... the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof." In other words, it would have no impact on the many laws and established practices regarding election administration.

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The article pictured in the Facebook post offers no evidence that presidential elections could be suspended during a pandemic under the order.

USA TODAY reached out to the user who shared the post for comment but did not immediately receive a response.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Executive order won't 'suspend presidential elections' | Fact check