Trump Signs Executive Order Mandating Proof Of Citizenship In Major Election Overhaul

U.S. President Donald Trump, on Tuesday, signed an executive order that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship at the polls and seeks to block states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

The order also seeks to reduce federal funding for states that do not comply with the new rules, a release from White House said.

"We're going to fix our elections so that our elections are going to be honorable and honest and people leave and they know their vote is counted. We are going to have free and fair elections. And ideally, we go to paper ballots, same-day voting, proof of citizenship, very big, and voter ID, very simple," Trump said in a statement.

"We've got to straighten out our elections," Trump stated as he signed the order. "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," Reuters reported

A key focus of the new order is mail-in voting, which Trump has repeatedly argued is prone to fraud. Though fraud in mail-in voting is rare and often prosecuted when it occurs, Trump and many of his allies have continued to call it a security risk. Despite this, mail-in voting remains popular among voters, including many Republicans.

The latest order indicates that the president is not waiting for congressional Republicans to pass the long-awaited Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), which has sought to achieve the same goal.

Who Will Be Affected?

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 18 states and Puerto Rico currently allow mailed ballots to be counted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day, even if they are received after the elections, Associated Press reported.

Voting rights groups warn that the new executive order could harm vulnerable communities, especially people of color who may not have the required forms of ID, such as passports.

There are also concerns that people who have changed their names after marriage could face challenges when trying to register, as their birth certificates may list their maiden names.

Trump has long expressed doubts about the fairness of U.S. elections, including claiming that his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden was due to widespread fraud—a claim that has been proven false. Alongside his Republican supporters, Trump has also raised concerns about non-citizens voting, despite evidence showing that such cases are extremely rare.

Legal Challenges Expected

The executive order is expected to face significant legal challenges, as the U.S. Constitution gives individual states the power to manage their own elections. Although Congress can regulate certain aspects of voting, it is up to states to determine how elections are held.

In recent years, Republicans have pushed for stricter voting laws, while Democrats have supported measures like mail-in voting and early voting to make voting more accessible.

Former President Joe Biden signed an executive order in 2021 aimed at increasing voter registration, which was criticized by Republicans as overreach. Trump has now overturned that order.

Advocacy group, Public Citizen, estimates that about 146 million Americans do not have passports, and research from the Brennan Center shows that approximately 9% of eligible U.S. voters, or about 21.3 million people, do not have immediate access to proof of citizenship.

"This is a blatant attack on democracy and an authoritarian power grab," said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen.

The White House argues that the new executive order is necessary to prevent foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections. Under the new order, voters will be asked to confirm their citizenship on the federal voting form for the first time.

Democratic leaders, including Rep. Joe Morelle from New York, have criticized the executive order, calling it "misguided, immoral, and illegal." Marc Elias, a Democratic attorney, has also threatened legal action in response to the order.