A new executive order requires proof of citizenship when registering to vote. President Trump signed the order on March 25, 2025 and now state election officials must check passports or other government issued IDs for voting registration. States that fail to comply risk a loss of federal funding.
Trump signed the order in March but has talked about election fraud and security for years. After losing the 2020 election, Trump claimed the election was rigged although there is no evidence to support this. The new executive order now outlines restrictions on voters.
“The United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations … Free, fair and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic,” said Trump, via the executive order.
The order requires states to keep registration lists and record which documents were presented at the time of registration. Election officials will also have access to databases to check immigration status, regardless of if the voter was already registered.
Although Trump cites excessive voting from noncitizens, the Heritage Database reports only 29 cases from 2003-2023. Trump claims noncitizens voting and foreign nationals donating money are the cause of election fraud.
The executive order also criticized mail-in ballots. Under the new rules, a ballot cannot be counted if it arrives after election day, even if it was date stamped before. Utah previously counted mail ballots postmarked on or before election day, regardless of the arrival date. Under the new rules, Utah can no longer do so.
States have 90 days to implement the new rules or may experience federal push back and lose funding.
Author: Hannah Clove
Photo courtesy of Getty Image
Editor: Anna Mower
news@suunews.net
