President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Tuesday that aims to overhaul election procedures nationwide, introducing stringent voter identification requirements to prove U.S. citizenship for federal elections. The move is expected to face significant legal challenges from voting rights groups.
Non-U.S. citizens are already barred from voting in federal elections. However, Trump’s order mandates that applicants using the national mail voter registration form must provide a U.S. passport, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued card, or another “valid Federal or State government-issued photo identification” as proof of citizenship.
The order also directs states and local election officials to verify and record these documents, warning that federal election-related funds could be withheld from states that fail to comply. Additionally, the directive targets mail-in voting—long criticized by Trump—by instructing Attorney General Pam Bondi to ensure states do not count absentee ballots arriving after Election Day.
Trump’s order represents a significant shift in federal election oversight, traditionally managed at the state and county levels. “This country is so sick because of the fake elections and the bad elections, and we’re going to straighten it out one way or the other,” Trump said before signing the order.
The directive also mandates that all ballots produce a voter-verifiable paper record to prevent fraud and errors. White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf called it “the farthest-reaching executive action taken in the history of the Republic to secure our elections.”
Currently, 36 states require some form of voter identification at the polls, while 14 states and Washington, D.C., do not impose such restrictions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Voting rights advocates argue that strict voter ID laws disproportionately impact seniors, minorities, low-income individuals, and students. UCLA law professor Rick Hasen warned that the order could “stop millions of eligible voters, who do not have easy access to documents such as passports, from registering to vote.”
Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, denounced the move as a “blatant overreach” that could disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible voters. “This measure will no doubt disproportionately impact historically excluded communities, including voters of color, naturalized citizens, people with disabilities, and the elderly,” she said.
With his signature, Trump also revoked President Joe Biden’s 2021 executive order that expanded voter registration access through federal agencies. Scharf defended the repeal, claiming the Biden-era order “weaponized government to corrupt and pollute our election process.”
Trump’s directive is expected to face immediate legal challenges, with critics arguing it undermines state control over elections and places unnecessary barriers to voting.