Trump Signs Executive Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote in Federal Elections

Trump Signs Executive Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship to Vote

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order that mandates voters provide proof of U.S. citizenship for federal elections, a move that is expected to face significant legal opposition from voting rights groups. The White House / Wikimedia

Stricter Voter ID Rules Imposed, Federal Funds Tied to Compliance

The executive order, signed Tuesday, requires individuals registering to vote through the national mail form to submit a U.S. passport, a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or another valid photo ID issued by the federal or state government. While noncitizens are already barred from voting in federal elections, this new directive imposes stricter documentation requirements and threatens to withhold federal funding from states that don’t comply. Element5 Digital / Pexels

Trump: ‘We’re Going to Straighten It Out One Way or the Other’

In a move that could reshape the structure of election administration, the order also shifts more power to the federal executive branch. Trump instructed Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all necessary steps” to ensure absentee ballots received after Election Day are not counted and to establish information-sharing agreements with state officials to identify voter fraud, ineligible registrations, and threats against election workers.

“We’ve got to straighten out our elections,” Trump said on Tuesday as he signed the order at the White House, according to Reuters. “This country is so sick because of the elections, the fake elections and the bad elections, we’re going to straighten that out one way or the other.” The White House / Wikimedia

White House Calls Order ‘Farthest-Reaching’ in U.S. Election History

White House staff secretary Will Scharf praised the move, saying, "We believe that this executive order is the farthest-reaching executive action taken in the history of the Republic to secure our elections."

The directive also mandates that voting systems produce a voter-verifiable paper trail, further aiming to prevent fraud or error. Ramaz Bluashvili / Pexels

Critics Warn Order Could Disenfranchise Millions of Voters

Critics warn that the order could disenfranchise millions. UCLA law professor Rick Hasen wrote that the order “would prevent only a tiny amount of noncitizen voter registration but stop millions of eligible voters” from registering. Sophia Lin Lakin of the ACLU called the order a “blatant overreach that threatens to disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible voters,” noting it would disproportionately harm communities of color, naturalized citizens, the elderly, people with disabilities, and low-income voters. Edmond Dantès / Pexels

Biden’s 2021 Voting Access Order Officially Repealed

The order also repeals President Joe Biden’s 2021 directive that promoted expanded access to voter registration.

Scharf described Biden’s order as one that “essentially weaponized government to corrupt and pollute our election process.” The White House / Wikimedia