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US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday, aimed to reshape the country’s election process, introducing strict requirements that could majorly impact how Americans vote. The order mandated
documentary proof of citizenship
to register for federal elections and required that all ballots be received by Election Day.
Trump’s directive accused the US government of failing “to enforce basic and necessary election protections” and called on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election-related crimes. States that refuse to comply could see their federal funding reduced, the order warned.
The move aligned with Trump’s long-running claims of election fraud, despite a lack of evidence supporting widespread irregularities. Since losing the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden, Trump has repeatedly cast doubt on mail-in voting, arguing that it invites fraud, though, without proof.
The executive order effectively bypassed congressional Republicans, who have been working on the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, a bill that sought to implement similar voter ID requirements. While it is already illegal for non-citizens to vote in federal elections, Trump and his allies argued that stricter measures are needed to restore confidence in the system.
However,
voting rights groups
warn that the proof-of-citizenship requirement could restrict millions of voters. A 2023 report by the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that 21.3 million voting-age citizens, around 9 per cent, do not have documentary proof of citizenship readily available. The measure could also create complications for married women who have changed their names, as seen in recent local elections in New Hampshire.
Federal agencies to play a bigger role
Trump’s order directed agencies such as the department of homeland security, the social security administration, and the state department to share data with election officials to help identify non-citizens on voter rolls. It also instructed the attorney general to prioritise election crime enforcement, especially in states that refuse to share information with federal authorities.
A major change included in the order is a requirement that votes must be both “cast and received” by Election Day. This could affect 18 states and Puerto Rico, where current laws allow ballots postmarked by Election Day to be counted if they arrive later.
Legal challenges expected
Trump’s executive order is likely to face immediate legal challenges. The US Constitution grants states primary authority over elections, and while Congress has the power to regulate voting through laws like the voting rights act, legal experts say the president’s ability to unilaterally impose changes is limited.
Colorado’s democratic secretary of State Jena Griswold slammed the order as an “unlawful” attempt to manipulate the system, adding that Trump is “trying to make it harder for voters to fight back at the ballot box.”
Democratic Congressman Joe Morelle of New York called the executive action “immoral and illegal,” while prominent election lawyer Marc Elias vowed to challenge it in court, stating, “This will not stand. We will sue.”
Impact on voting
The order also directed the US election assistance commission to update its guidelines, discouraging the use of barcodes and QR codes in the vote-counting process. Many states, including Georgia, rely on voting machines that use QR codes to tally votes. It remains unclear how the order will affect such systems..
Georgia secretary of State Brad Raffensperger welcomed the move, calling it a “great first step for election integrity reform nationwide.” Wisconsin Republican Rep Bryan Steil, who chairs the House committee on elections, also praised the order as a “welcome action to secure our elections and prevent foreign influence,” news agency AP quoted.
Meanwhile, Trump ally and election conspiracy theorist Mike Lindell has already begun fundraising off the announcement, claiming it will help fix “sick elections.”
Trump, while signing the order on Tuesday, said, “This will end it, hopefully,” and hinted that more election-related actions would be announced in the coming weeks.
Trump's executive order comes as the Republican national committee launched a massive effort to probe voter registration list maintenance nationwide. The committee sent public records requests this week asking for documents related to voter roll list maintenance in 48 states and Washington, DC, asserting that the public should know how states are removing ineligible people from voter rolls, including dead people and non-citizens.
