This week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that he says will strengthen the enforcement of federal election law practices and ensure U.S. elections are “free, fair, and honest elections.” The newly signed order reads that the U.S. is “failing to enforce basic and necessary election protections” that many other countries already have.
The order calls for the removal of migrants from all voter rolls and requires that the Election Assistance Commission require documents that prove the voter is a legal citizen. Trump also argues that the order would stop foreign nationals from interfering in U.S. elections.
Acceptable Documents
Documentation that will be accepted includes a REAL ID-compliant form of identification, a U.S. passport, military I.D. card, or a federal or state-issued photo ID such as a driver’s license.“We believe this executive order is the farthest-reaching executive action taken in the history of the Republic to secure our elections,” Trump’s White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf said.
The executive order also requires that all ballots counted toward the outcome of an election be received by officials governing the election on election day. “We gotta straighten out our election. This country is so sick because of the election-the fake elections and the bad elections-and we’re gonna straighten it out one way or another,” Trump said.
The Order Already Faces Challenges
Experts have already said that Trump’s new order will face different legal challenges because states have wide election authority. The order has already received backlash from civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union and the Democracy Docket. Both say the order is “anti-voter.”
“This executive order represents a significant overreach of executive power and poses a direct threat to the fundamental right to vote,” the ACLU wrote in a statement. Its comments went on to state that the orders’ purpose is to “upend U.S. elections” as well as “disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.”
Democrats File Lawsuit
The Democratic Party has already filed a lawsuit asking a U.S. court to block Trump’s executive order, arguing that the changes risk denying U.S. citizens the right to vote. The lawsuit was filed in Washington, D.C., federal court by the Democratic National Committee.
The committee states that the order exceeds Trump’s authority by forcing voters to prove they are citizens, preventing states from counting any mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, as well as threatening to withdraw federal funding from states that do not comply with the order.
“The Executive Order seeks to impose radical changes on how Americans register to vote, cast a ballot, and participate in our democracy—all of which threaten to disenfranchise lawful voters and none of which is legal,” the lawsuit reads. It was filed by Democratic election lawyer Marc Elias and his firm.
Both Schumer and Jeffries Are Plaintiffs In The Case
Both Senator Chuck Schumer and Representative Hakeem Jeffries are plaintiffs in the case. Both are Democratic minority leaders. “The Department of Justice has vigorously defended President Trump’s executive actions, including the order to Preserve and Protect the Integrity of American Elections, and will continue to do so,” A spokesperson for the Justice Department stated.
