Trump limits possibility for voting in US elections: Details
To participate in the elections, one will need to prove US citizenship (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order banning illegal immigrants and individuals without American passports from participating in elections. The measures are aimed at preventing foreign citizens from interfering in elections, according to Reuters.
The order requires voters to prove their US citizenship.
Additionally, the document urges the Election Assistance Commission to demand documentary proof of US citizenship during voter registration by mail. Voters must provide a US passport, military ID, state or federal identification card, or a valid identification indicating citizenship.
The executive order stipulates the withholding of federal funding from states that fail to comply with these requirements.
Reasons for the new regulation
Donald Trump has long questioned the US electoral system and continues to falsely claim that his loss to Democratic President Joe Biden in the 2020 election was the result of widespread fraud. The president and his Republican allies have also made baseless assertions about mass voting by people who were not US citizens, even though this is illegal and extremely rare.
The White House order aims to achieve similar goals. Voting rights groups have argued that, like the Voting Rights Protection Act, which failed to become law, it will disenfranchise voters, particularly people of color who do not have access to passports or other necessary forms of identification.
“We've got to straighten out our elections. This country is so sick because of the elections, the fake elections and the bad elections, we're going to straighten that out one way or the other,” Trump said on Tuesday while signing the executive order at the White House.
Under US law, the Secretary of State has the authority to unilaterally revoke passports if it is determined that they were illegally, fraudulently, or erroneously obtained or created through illegality or fraud.
In recent years, Republicans have sought to impose more restrictions on voting, while Democrats have worked to ease the process by supporting access to mail-in ballots and early voting.
Last year, the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that bans non-citizens from registering to vote in federal elections, a practice that is already illegal. However, the bill did not pass through the Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats.
New order and restrictions on rights
The White House argued that Trump's executive order would prevent foreign citizens from interfering in US elections. Under the new directive, voters will be asked about their citizenship for the first time on the federal voting ballot.
“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,” the White House said in a bulletin dedicated to the order.
The order criticizes policies that allow ballots to be mailed in and counted after Election Day. The document emphasizes Trump's stance of requiring that votes be cast and received by the date set by law.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 18 states, as well as Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and Washington D.C., will count mail-in ballots received on or before Election Day, regardless of when they arrive.
Trump's executive order also mandates that the Secretary of Homeland Security ensure states have access to systems that verify the citizenship or immigration status of individuals registering to vote.
It also directs the Department of Homeland Security and the Administrator of the Government Efficiency Department, led by Elon Musk, to review voter lists in states, using subpoenas if necessary, to ensure their compliance with federal requirements.
On Tuesday, the National Republican Committee requested public records from 48 states and Washington D.C. to check how they maintain their voter rolls.
"Voters have a right to know that their states are properly maintaining voter rolls and quickly acting to clean voter registration lists by removing ineligible voters," said Michael Witly, chairman of the committee, in a statement.
However, it is possible that Trump's executive order could be challenged in court.
"This is a blatant attack on democracy and an authoritarian power grab," said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of the civil rights group Public Citizen.
The group notes that approximately 146 million Americans do not have passports. A Brennan Center study found that 9% of eligible US citizens, or 21.3 million people, do not have easily accessible proof of citizenship.
Trump's anti-immigration policy
Upon taking office, Donald Trump and his administration began a widespread campaign to deport migrants from the country and restrict the rights of foreigners.
In the first month of Trump's presidency alone, more than 20,000 illegal immigrants were arrested in the country.
Those detained are being deported to their countries of origin on special flights.
The new administration also suspended the processing of all immigration visas submitted by citizens from Latin American countries and Ukraine.
Additionally, the Trump administration will end the legal status for over 500,000 migrants from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela. This pertains to a series of temporary stay programs implemented during Joe Biden's presidency.
