Much as Wyoming became the first state in the union to require proof of citizenship to vote in the state’s elections or federal elections at polling booths in the state, President Trump has made moves to require such proof of citizenship for voters nationally, something that would add a new layer of security to American elections if it comes into effect.
For reference, President Trump made the move through an executive order that he signed in late March. In the order, which is titled “PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS,” the president required that prospective voters show proof of American citizenship when registering to vote.
Beginning the order, the president argued that American elections are seemingly less secure that those carried out by companies as different as Brazil and Germany, writing, “Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing.”
Continuing, he explained that elections must be clearly free and fair if the public’s faith in the system is to be maintained, as things like illegal dilution of the vote is particularly noxious to the public. It provided: “Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.”
Then, turning from that to the specific objectives of the order, the president argued that not enough has been done by the states to protect elections conducted within them from various forms of fraud and dilution, including not taking enough action to “prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote.”
On much the same note a bit later on, the order noted that there is federal law requiring the states to take adequate steps to ensure non-citizens are not allowed to vote, but the states have not done so, providing, “Several Federal laws, including 18 U.S.C. 1015 and 611, prohibit foreign nationals from registering to vote or voting in Federal elections. Yet States fail adequately to vet voters’ citizenship, and, in recent years, the Department of Justice has failed to prioritize and devote sufficient resources for enforcement of these provisions. Even worse, the prior administration actively prevented States from removing aliens from their voter lists.”
Later on, in the section regarding what actions the EO requires officials to take, the president ordered the Election Assistance Commission to ensure and require that “a State or local official to record on the form the type of document that the applicant presented as documentary proof of United States citizenship, including the date of the document’s issuance, the date of the document’s expiration (if any), the office that issued the document, and any unique identification number associated with the document as required by the criteria in 52 U.S.C. 21083(a)(5)(A), while taking appropriate measures to ensure information security.”
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That’s not all. The EO also requires DHS and the AG to work together to “complete information on all foreign nationals who have indicated on any immigration form that they have registered or voted in a Federal, State, or local election” and then work to provide state and local officials with the proper information regarding that illegal activity.
And, adding yet another provision to ensure citizenship, the order requires that “The head of each Federal voter registration executive department or agency (agency) under the National Voter Registration Act, 52 U.S.C. 20506(a), shall assess citizenship prior to providing a Federal voter registration form to enrollees of public assistance programs.”
Watch a DOGE volunteer comment on the illegal alien voter problem here: