Critics condemn the move as an overreach that could disenfranchise millions.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Tuesday imposing stricter controls on federal elections, including requiring documented proof of citizenship for voter registration—a move that has drawn sharp criticism from legal experts and civil rights advocates.
The order, signed at the White House, intensifies Trump’s long-standing claims of election fraud, despite his refusal to acknowledge his 2020 loss to Joe Biden. The president has repeatedly alleged, without evidence, that widespread irregularities—particularly in mail-in voting—undermined the integrity of the electoral process.
“Perhaps some people think I shouldn’t be complaining, because we won in a landslide,” Trump said during the signing. “But we’ve got to straighten out our election. This country is so sick because of the election, the fake elections. And we’re going to straighten it out, one way or the other.”
Under the new directive, voters must submit citizenship documentation—such as a passport—when registering in their state. States that refuse to comply risk losing federal election funding. Additionally, the order empowers the attorney general to take legal action against states that count absentee ballots received after Election Day, even if postmarked on time.
Legal scholars and advocacy groups swiftly condemned the measure as an unconstitutional overreach. Richard Hasen, a law professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, called it a “dangerous” move that could “potentially disenfranchise millions of voters.” He emphasized that election administration is primarily a state responsibility, with Congress setting broader guidelines.
The Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan policy institute, denounced the order on social media, stating it “would block tens of millions of American citizens from voting. Presidents have no authority to do this.” Similarly, the ACLU labeled it an “extreme abuse of power” and vowed legal action, declaring, “We’ll see him in court.”
Non-citizen voting in federal elections has been illegal for decades, punishable by fines, imprisonment, or deportation. Critics argue the new rules will create unnecessary barriers for eligible voters while failing to address a virtually nonexistent problem.
The order is expected to face immediate legal challenges, setting the stage for another contentious battle over voting rights in the U.S.
