WASHINGTON, DC - FEBRUARY 12: U.S. President Donald Trump, accompanied by Tulsi Gabbard and her husband Abraham Williams, holds up Gabbard's commission for her new role as Director of National Intelligence after she was sworn in, in the Oval Office at the White House on February 12, 2025 in Washington, DC. Gabbard, who will oversee the 18 intelligence agencies and serve as Trump's advisory on intelligence, was confirmed by the Senate 52-48. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order to overhaul elections in the U.S. The action would require proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections and demand that all ballots be received by Election Day.
The order states that the U.S. has failed to protect elections and calls on states to work with the federal government to share voter lists and punish election crimes. It threatens to withdraw federal funding from states that don’t comply.
The order is likely to face challenges but is consistent with Trump’s history of trying to control election processes. He has repeatedly claimed elections are “rigged,” especially after his 2020 election loss to former President Joe Biden.
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The order asking for documentary proof of citizenship shows the president is not waiting for Republicans to pass their Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which would make many of the same policies law.
Voting rights groups are concerned that the order will affect about 9% of U.S. citizens without proof of citizenship. Married women who have changed their names may encounter trouble, which happened in New Hampshire when they started requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote.
The executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security, the Social Security Administration, the State Department, and other federal agencies to share election officials’ data to identify noncitizens.
The order will also face legal challenges – the Constitution states that states have authority over elections.
Colorado’s Democratic secretary of state, Jena Griswold, called the order “unlawful,” and Rep. Joe Morelle (D-New York) called the order “immoral and illegal.”
The executive branch does have some authority over elections by providing election support that supplies states with grant money.
Mike Lindell, the MyPillow CEO who has spread election conspiracies, says the order will fix “sick elections.”
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