Laila Kirkpatrick, Staff Writer
President Trump signed a new executive order that requires prospective voters to show proof of citizenship to vote. The order’s changes test the power of Trump’s presidential authority. Voting rights advocates have issued concerns that the new provisions could block millions of Americans from voting if enacted, and say Trump does not have the authority legally to make these changes. The executive order claims that the U.S. “fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections.”
This order calls for updates to the federal form that voters use to register to vote, to include a requirement that voters show proof of citizenship, like a passport to a local or state official. 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. This includes the head of the Department of Government Efficiency(DOGE). 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 in checking the eligibility of the names of their voter rolls.
