Chicago – March 26, 2025
President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that would require prospective voters to show proof of citizenship to register to vote. The order’s sweeping changes test the power of Trump’s presidential authority.
Voting rights advocates worry the new provisions could block millions of Americans from voting if enacted, and say Trump lacks the legal authority to make such changes.
The order claims the United States “fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections.”
The order calls for updating the federal form voters can use to register to vote, to include a requirement that voters show proof of citizenship, like a passport, to a local or state official.
States have long had considerable leeway in how they manage their elections. The federal government has been able to set some minimum standards for federal races, though typically via legislation.
The order also requires states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls, calls for states and federal agencies to share data to prosecute election crimes, and grants federal agencies, including to the head of the Department of Government Efficiency team, access to check state rolls “for consistency with Federal requirements.” It also directs federal agencies to share data with states, such as immigration and Social Security records, to facilitate states checking the eligibility of the names on their voter rolls.
