Former US President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order on Tuesday, introducing stringent new requirements for the US election process — including mandatory documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and a strict cutoff for counting mail-in ballots, allowing only those received by election day to be counted, regardless of postmark date. The order is already drawing intense backlash and is expected to face immediate legal challenges.
The directive criticizes the current state of US election security, claiming the country has fallen behind both developed and developing nations in safeguarding its democratic processes. It specifically points to India and Brazil as examples, highlighting how those nations link voter identification to biometric databases, while the US continues to rely on self-attestation of citizenship — a system Trump described as dangerously lax. The order calls for greater cooperation between state election officials and federal agencies to cross-check voter rolls, prosecute election-related crimes, and ensure that only eligible US citizens are allowed to vote. It warns that states failing to comply with these new regulations could face cuts to federal funding.
Under the new rules, voters will now need to present documented proof of citizenship — such as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers — when registering to vote in federal elections. The order also prohibits states from accepting any mail-in ballots received after election day, overturning current laws in 18 states and Puerto Rico that allow ballots postmarked on or before election day to be counted if they arrive later.
Trump, who has long alleged widespread election fraud despite a lack of concrete evidence, said during the signing, “This will end it, hopefully,” referring to what he calls a broken and corrupt election system. He maintained that the reforms are necessary to restore public trust and prevent what he calls “massive fraud” in mail-in voting. The order’s requirements mirror key provisions of the Republican-backed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which seeks to tighten voter registration processes across the country.
Several Republican leaders praised the move. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who previously clashed with Trump over the 2020 election results but supports stricter voting laws, stated that the order “ensures that only American citizens decide American elections." He added that safeguarding the voter rolls was critical to maintaining the legitimacy of the electoral process.
However, voting rights advocates, Democratic lawmakers, and civil liberties groups swiftly condemned the order. Critics argue that the new requirements will disenfranchise millions of voters, especially vulnerable populations like low-income citizens, the elderly, and rural communities, who may face significant barriers in obtaining official citizenship documents.
A 2023 report from the Brennan Center for Justice estimated that around 21.3 million eligible US citizens — roughly 9% of the electorate — lack immediate access to proof of citizenship. Concerns have also been raised about the impact on married women who changed their last names and whose birth certificates no longer match their current identification.
Colorado’s Democratic Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the order an "unlawful weaponization of the federal government," accusing Trump of using election integrity as a pretext for voter suppression. “This isn’t about election security — it’s about keeping millions of Americans from voting,” Griswold said, pointing to the order’s potential to create registration chaos ahead of the 2024 elections.
Legal experts anticipate a fierce courtroom battle over the constitutionality of the order. The US Constitution grants states the primary authority to oversee elections and determine the "times, places, and manner" of voting, though Congress can intervene under certain circumstances. Previous Supreme Court rulings have upheld this balance, leaning in favor of state autonomy in election management. Lawyers representing civil rights groups argue that Trump’s order not only oversteps his executive powers but also violates the Voting Rights Act by imposing unreasonable barriers to voter participation.
Democratic leaders, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, vowed to fight the order in court and in Congress. “This is a blatant attempt to undermine our democracy and silence millions of voters,” Schumer said. “We won’t let this stand.”
The legal battle is expected to move quickly, with both sides preparing for an expedited path to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, election officials in Democratic-led states, including California, New York, and Illinois, have already stated they will not enforce the order, setting the stage for a nationwide standoff over voter access and election integrity.
