On Tuesday, President Donald Trump enacted a potentially transformative executive order that seeks significant changes to how elections are held in the United States.
Newsmax reported that the executive order mandates U.S. citizenship proof for voter registration and requires all ballots to arrive by Election Day.
Dubbed "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," the order criticizes the existing practices and asserts the U.S. has not adequately enforced election laws.
It also emphasizes the past failures to verify voters’ citizenship and the lack of enforcement against non-citizen voting.
The sweeping changes introduced by the order include stricter voter citizenship verification procedures and a condition that federal election funding will depend on adherence to these new integrity measures. Furthermore, the order stresses the importance of state and federal cooperation to enhance election security.
By insisting that all agencies involved, such as the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department, aid in ensuring that voter lists are accurate, the order aims to bolster the overall election framework. It particularly mandates these agencies to assist states in verifying the eligibility of voters.
This initiative reflects Trump’s prolonged emphasis on preventing election fraud, urging quick prosecution for violations, particularly involving noncitizen participation.
As anticipated, the order explicitly targets directives from previous administrations which, according to Trump, obstructed efforts to clean up voter lists. Specifically, it accuses the Biden administration of hindering states from removing ineligible voters from their records.
This executive action, aligning with the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act supported by House Speaker Mike Johnson, is poised to face significant legal challenges from various voting rights groups who argue that it imposes undue restrictions on voters.
Moreover, the attorney general is tasked to actively engage against states that count ballots arriving post-Election Day and to enter into agreements with state officers to track and address election fraud more efficiently.
Throughout the order, there are repeated calls for enhanced measures to ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens participate in federal elections.
It specifies a critical change: voters must provide documentary proof of their citizenship when registering for federal elections.
This component of the order aims to solidify the foundations of U.S. elections—ensuring they remain fair and free from foreign interference, as stated in the order: "This type of foreign interference...undermines the franchise and the right of American citizens to govern their Republic."
Fulfilling Trump's pledge to fortify election laws, the order delineates that election integrity standards need modification to maintain honesty and public trust in electoral processes.
According to Trump, this order is just the beginning, with more measures expected to follow. He emphasized the necessity of continuing to protect the integrity of American elections with further actions planned in the coming weeks.
These impending actions, hinted at during the signing, suggest a sustained effort by the Trump administration to overhaul the U.S. election system amid ongoing debates over voter rights and election integrity.