Trump Signs Order in Attempt to Vastly Reshape U.S. Elections

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www.democracydocket.com

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday commanding wide-ranging changes to how U.S. elections are administered, a move that will be swiftly challenged by voting rights organizations across the country.

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Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has repeatedly outlined his extreme vision for U.S. elections, and his administration has taken actions that would, if permitted, vastly increase federal control over elections.

Tuesday's executive order is an extension of those efforts by attempting to make it more difficult for Americans to register to vote, to vastly increase federal supervision over state registration rolls and to punish states that do not comply with the order.
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Among the changes, Trump's order would punish states that count ballots received after Election Day and would make significant modifications to voting systems and security standards for voting equipment.

It would also require proof of citizenship for Americans who attempt to register to vote or to update registration information through a federal form, a move that would make it much harder for eligible voters to use the form.

The Department of Justice must go after states that count absentee or mail-in ballots received for federal elections after Election Day under the order, while those states would also lose access to grants to improve their election systems.

The Social Security commissioner must share federal databases with state and local election officials verifying the eligibility of registered voters and those attempting to register, the order directs. It also charges the Department of Homeland Security and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency to review state voter registration lists.

The order directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an agency created by Congress to operate without direct control from the White House, to carry out many of these changes.
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The Trump administration claimed the executive order was necessary to prevent election fraud, specifically noncitizens voting in federal elections. However, election fraud, including noncitizens voting, is exceptionally rare.

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"Trump's executive order is unlawful," Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. "It would prevent eligible Americans from exercising their sacred right to vote. The Trump administration is weaponizing the federal government and trying to make it harder for voters to fight back at the ballot box."

"This is not a statute," Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes told Democracy Docket. "This is an edict by fiat from the executive branch, and so every piece of it can be challenged through the regular judicial process."

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