On Tuesday, President Donald Trump enacted an executive order aimed at tightening restrictions on mail-in voting, a step that advocates for voting rights argue will disenfranchise millions of citizens.
The measure mandates that the Department of Homeland Security create a list of validated U.S. citizens eligible to vote in every state, which is likely to face legal challenges that could prevent it from being implemented before the November midterm elections.
“We are committed to ensuring genuine voting in our nation, because without authentic voting, it’s impossible to truly have a country,” Trump stated in the Oval Office after signing the order.
A fact sheet from the White House indicates that DHS will collaborate with the Social Security Administration to fulfill this task.
The compiled list will be distributed to each state, and the order instructs the Attorney General to focus on investigating and prosecuting “election officials, individuals, and other entities that breach the law by issuing or distributing Federal ballots to those ineligible to vote.” The Attorney General is also directed to deny federal funds to states that do not comply, according to the fact sheet.
The Postal Service will be mandated to “send ballots solely to individuals listed on a State-specific Mail-in and Absentee Participation List,” the fact sheet notes. It’s standard practice for election officials in each state to provide mail ballots to voters, not the Postal Service.
The order additionally stipulates that the Postal Service must ensure all ballots it sends are “enclosed in secure ballot envelopes labeled as Official Election Mail with unique Intelligent Mail barcodes for tracking purposes,” as per the fact sheet.
Recently, Trump cast his vote by mail in Florida. While the Constitution assigns election management to the states, Congress has the authority to legislate on election matters. The executive branch does not play a formal role in modifying election laws or executing the elections.
Advocates for voting rights assert that Trump’s proposed voting limitations would disenfranchise millions. The executive order is expected to encounter legal action that could impede its enforcement ahead of the midterms.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, a Democrat, stated her office is “examining this order and will take appropriate legal measures to guarantee that every eligible voter in Massachusetts can participate and have their vote counted.”
“The Trump Administration cannot obstruct the right to vote, nor may it supersede state election authority,” Campbell emphasized.
The NAACP released a statement indicating that the “order will not prevail.”
“Not only is his order unconstitutional, but it lacks seriousness,” commented NAACP president Derrick Johnson. “His attempts to silence us will only amplify our voices and votes.”
The Daily Caller was the first to report that Trump would formalize this order.
Trump has consistently pushed for limitations on mail-in voting since his defeat in the 2020 election to former President Joe Biden. He has made unsubstantiated claims that the election was taken from him due to fraudulent mail-in voting.
This order follows extensive pressure on Congress to enact the SAVE America Act, a proposal that would necessitate voters to provide photo identification and proof of U.S. citizenship. The U.S. House approved this proposal in February, and the Senate discussed it this month but has not yet voted.
Trump has warned Republicans that they risk losing the November midterm elections if they do not pass the legislation and tighten mail-in voting regulations.
