President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order on friday launching a commission to review alleged voter fraud and voter suppression in the US election system, three White House officials said.
Vice President Mike Pence and Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach will lead the commission, which will look at allegations of improper voting and fraudulent voter registration in states and across the nation, one official said. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorised to discuss details ahead of the formal announcement.
Trump has alleged, without evidence, that 3 to 5 million people voted illegally in his 2016 campaign against Democrat Hillary Clinton.
He has vowed since the start of his administration to investigate voter fraud, a process that has been delayed for months. The commission will include Republicans and Democrats and be composed of current and former state election officials and other experts, the White House official said.
The panel will aim to ensure confidence in the integrity of federal elections while looking at vulnerabilities in the system and the possibility of improper voting and fraudulent voter registration and voting, the official said.
Potential panel members include former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and Indiana Secretary of State Connie lawson, the official said. Other names under consideration include longtime New Hampshire Secretary of State Bill Gardner and Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, both Democrats, and Christy McCormick of the US Election Assistance Commission.
During his campaign, Trump repeatedly alleged that the election system was "rigged" and after his election argued that such massive, widespread fraud kept him from the popular vote.