Trump Signs Executive Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration

• Changes to Voter Registration Made by Donald Trump?
• Measure Sparks Controversy and Criticism
• ACLU Warns of Disproportionate Impact on Minorities

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that requires individuals wishing to register to vote in federal elections to present documents proving their citizenship.

According to the new directive, the Election Assistance Commission will now require documentary proof of citizenship on the vote-by-mail registration form.

Among the accepted documents are a U.S. passport, an official government-issued ID, or a military identification card.

In the executive order, Trump argued that states do not adequately investigate the citizenship status of voters and emphasized the need for «free, fair, and honest elections, free from fraud, error, or suspicion.»

Donald Trump Signs Order Mandating Citizenship Proof for Voting

The president has repeatedly affirmed, without evidence, that there was electoral fraud in the presidential elections of 2020, in which he was defeated by Joe Biden.

«The right of American citizens to which their votes be counted correctly is vital to determine the legitimate winner of elections,» says the order.

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Since 1996, the illegal immigration and responsibility reform law of immigrants prohibits people without citizenship to vote in federal elections. With penalties that include fines, prison, inadmissibility and deportation.

The American Union for Civil Liberties (ACLU) condemned the measure, accusing it of depriving millions of eligible citizens from vote.

Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project, warned that the rule will disproportionately impact minorities such as voters of color, naturalized citizens, people with disabilities, and the elderly.

Additionally, the executive order urges states to use voting systems that do not rely on barcodes to record votes.

It also prohibits counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day, according to AP.

The order further directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk, to review voter registration lists in each state.

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