President Donald Trump has signed an executive action aimed at overhauling the U.S. election system, which includes a requirement for documentary proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and a directive for all ballots to be received by Election Day.
The big picture: The executive order criticizes the U.S. for failing to enforce necessary election protections and calls for collaboration between states and federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes.
- Noncompliance by states with the order could lead to the withdrawal of federal funding.
- The order highlights the requirement for documentary proof of citizenship, a move that indicates Trump is taking action without waiting for Republicans in Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), which has similar aims.
Go deeper: While voting by noncitizens is already illegal, the order raises concerns from voting rights groups about disenfranchisement, especially considering that a significant number of U.S. citizens lack readily available proof of citizenship.
- The order mandates federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, and State Department to share data that could help identify noncitizens on voter rolls, as well as directs the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of federal election integrity laws.
- It emphasizes the requirement for votes to be “cast and received” by Election Day and links federal funding to state compliance. Currently, some states accept mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day but received after it.
