WASHINGTON – U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday requiring voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, aiming to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day. The order also threatens to withhold federal funding from states that fail to comply.
Trump, who has repeatedly questioned the integrity of U.S. elections, continues to claim—without evidence—that widespread fraud led to his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden. The order aligns with Republican efforts to tighten voting laws, particularly regarding non-citizen voting, which is already illegal.
The GOP-controlled House of Representatives previously passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act to ban non-citizen voter registration in federal elections, though the bill failed in the Democratic-led Senate. Voting rights groups argue that Trump’s order could disenfranchise eligible voters, particularly those without passports or other identification proving citizenship.
“We’ve got to straighten out our elections,” Trump said at the White House signing ceremony. “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.”
The order is expected to face legal challenges. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of advocacy group Public Citizen, called it “a blatant attack on democracy and an authoritarian power grab.”
Republicans have increasingly sought voting restrictions, while Democrats advocate for expanded mail-in ballot access and early voting. Public Citizen reports that 146 million Americans lack passports, and research from the Brennan Center indicates that 9% of eligible voters—about 21.3 million people—do not have immediate access to proof of citizenship.
The order mandates the inclusion of a citizenship question on federal voting forms and conditions federal election-related funds on states enforcing proof-of-citizenship requirements. Additionally, it criticizes mail-in ballot policies that allow votes to be counted after Election Day, stating that Trump’s policy is to “require that votes be cast and received by the election date established in law.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 18 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Washington, D.C., currently accept ballots postmarked by Election Day, even if they arrive later.
The order also directs the Department of Homeland Security to ensure states have access to databases verifying voter citizenship or immigration status. Additionally, the newly created Department of Government Efficiency, overseen by Elon Musk, will work with DHS to audit state voter registration lists and issue subpoenas if necessary.
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has requested public records from 48 states and Washington, D.C., to investigate voter roll maintenance. “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,” RNC Chairman Michael Whatley said in a statement.
