Donald Trump has issued an executive order to change some of the processes around voting in the U.S, to promote “free, fair, and honest elections.”
The Context
The President has long spoken out about his worries and grievances about voter fraud, most notably after he lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, when he repeatedly claimed the Democrats stole it.
In December, after Trump won the 2024 election with a landslide victory, he said he planned to make changes to the way the U.S. votes.
“We’re gonna do things that have been really needed for a long time,” he said after accepting the Patriot of the Year award at a Long Island event organized by Fox Nation. “And we are gonna look at elections. We want to have paper ballots, one-day voting, voter ID, and proof of citizenship.”
What To Know
On Tuesday, Trump issued an executive order called “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.”
It says: “Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
The order hopes to achieve the aim by addressing issues in four main areas, but it is likely to face legal challenges.
Voter ID Required To Register
The order would require prospective voters to provide documentary proof of their citizenship, such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate.
States should also turn over voter lists and records of voter list maintenance to be reviewed by the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Government Efficiency, the order says.
This would be so federal agencies can work with states to help identify people on their voter rolls who are not U.S. citizens.
“Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing,” the order says, “India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.”
President Donald Trump meets reporters before leaving the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington, en route to New Jersey. President Donald Trump meets reporters before leaving the White House, Friday, March 21, 2025, in Washington, en route to New Jersey. AP
Voting rights groups have often advocated against requiring voter ID, saying it could mean the votes of millions of Americans would go uncounted given that many do not have proof of citizenship readily available.
Around 11 percent of eligible voters in the U.S. (between 20 to 25 million people) do not have government-issued photo ID, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
“Many citizens find it difficult to obtain government photo IDs because the necessary documentation, such as a birth certificate, is often difficult or expensive to acquire,” the policy institute says.
Mail Ballots Received By Election Day
Trump’s order would also require mail-in ballots to be “cast and received” by Election Day. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico accept mail-in ballots after Election Day as long as they are postmarked before that date, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
“While countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving votes regardless of the date of postmark, many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day,” the order says.
No QR Code Ballots
In order to change its guidelines, the Election Assistance Commission has been instructed to advise against voting systems that rely on ballots that use barcodes or QR codes in the vote-counting process.
Some places, such as Georgia for example, use voting machines with a touch screen for people to record their votes. This machine then prints a paper ballot with a summary of the voter’s selections and a QR code read by a scanner to count the votes.
The order says: “The amended guidelines and other guidance shall provide that voting systems should not use a ballot in which a vote is contained within a barcode or quick-response code in the vote counting process except where necessary to accommodate individuals with disabilities and should provide a voter-verifiable paper record to prevent fraud or mistake.”
Foreign Nationals Barred From Making Donations
“Federal law, 52 U.S.C. 30121, prohibits foreign nationals from participating in Federal, State, or local elections by making any contributions or expenditures,” the order explains. “But foreign nationals and nongovernmental organizations have taken advantage of loopholes in the law’s interpretation, spending millions of dollars through conduit contributions and ballot-initiative-related expenditures. This type of foreign interference in our election process undermines the franchise and the right of American citizens to govern their Republic.”
