President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive order to overhaul elections in the U.S., including requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections and demanding that all ballots be received by Election Day.
The order, titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," stated the U.S. has failed "to enforce basic and necessary election protections" and called on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes.
The order stated federal law prohibits foreign nationals from registering to vote or voting in federal elections, but added "states fail adequately to vet voters’ citizenship, and, in recent years, the Department of Justice has failed to prioritize and devote sufficient resources for enforcement of these provisions." It also said the Biden administration "actively prevented states from removing aliens from their voter lists."
"This type of foreign interference in our election process undermines the franchise and the right of American citizens to govern their Republic," the order stated. "Above all, elections must be honest and worthy of the public trust. That requires voting methods that produce a voter-verifiable paper record allowing voters to efficiently check their votes to protect against fraud or mistake. Election-integrity standards must be modified accordingly."
Here are some of the measures under the sweeping order, according to a White House fact sheet:
- Strengthening voter citizenship verification and banning foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections. It stated the Election Assistance Commission will require documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on its voter registration forms, including a U.S. passport, a federal- or state-issued photo ID or a military-issued ID.
- The attorney general shall take appropriate action against states that count ballots received after Election Day in federal elections. Federal election funding will be conditioned on compliance.
- Agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration and State Department must provide states with access to federal databases to verify eligibility and citizenship of individuals registering to vote.
- The attorney general will prioritize prosecuting noncitizen voting and related crimes, including through use of DHS records and coordination with state attorneys general.
- Federal election-related funds will be conditioned on states complying with the integrity measures set forth by federal law, including the requirement that states use the national mail voter registration form that will now require proof of citizenship.
- Directs the updating of the Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0 and security standards for voting equipment and prioritizing federal grant funds accordingly. This includes requiring a voter-verifiable paper ballot record and not using ballots in which the counted vote is contained within a barcode or QR code.
- Directs the attorney general to enter into information-sharing agreements with state election officials to identify cases of election fraud or other election law violations. Noncompliant states might face prioritized federal enforcement of election integrity laws and loss of funding given their unwillingness to police fraud.
- The attorney general and secretary of Homeland Security shall prevent noncitizens from any involvement in administering elections.
- The attorney general will fully enforce the voter-list maintenance requirements of the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.
- The attorney general will prioritize enforcement of laws prohibiting foreign nationals from contributing to or donating in U.S. elections.
- All agencies must report on compliance with undoing Biden Executive Order 14019, which turned federal agencies into Democrat voter turnout centers.
The order mirrors many of the provisions of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, which was supported by House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and was reintroduced this year after failing to make it out of the Democrat-controlled Senate in 2024.
The move, which is likely to face legal challenges from voting rights organizations, is consistent with Trump's views regarding securing U.S. elections. He alleged there was widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election and has waged fights against certain voting methods. Trump has focused particularly on mail-in voting, arguing that it's insecure and invites fraud.
After signing the order, Trump said that more election actions would be taken in coming weeks.
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