Trump signs order to overhaul federal elections process
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President Trump displays a signed executive order during in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Tuesday. Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
President Trump signed Tuesday an executive order to make sweeping changes to federal elections that includes a proof of citizenship requirement and aims to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.
Why it matters: Trump said on Truth Social his administration believes this is "the farthest-reaching executive action taken in the history" of the U.S. to "Secure our Elections" — and it's likely to face legal challenges, with Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold's (D) among those already calling the order "unlawful."
- Trump has long railed against mail-in voting and Tuesday's order directs the Election Assistance Commission to include in its national mail-in voter registration form a stipulation for proof of U.S. citizenship, such as a passport or Real ID.
- States that don't comply with the new requirements could have federal funding cut, according to the order.
Between the lines: While Trump's order is called "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American elections," UCLA law professor Rick Hasen wrote in a Tuesday blog post the action was an "executive power grab" that would disenfranchise "millions" of voters.
- "The aim here is voter suppression pure and simple," Hasen said.
- The order would let Elon Musk's DOGE and the Department of Homeland Security subpoena voting records, "in an effort to prove supposed voter registration fraud," Hasen added.
Background: Trump has in previous presidential elections dating back to 2016 cast doubt on election integrity — notably in 2020 when his then-Attorney General Bill Barr said there was no evidence of electoral fraud.
Zoom in: The battleground state of Arizona became ground zero for disputes about that election. Maricopa County election officials and poll workers faced threats after Arizona Trump and his supporters disputed that he lost the 2020 election to former President Biden.
- A state-Senate commissioned audit of the county that's since been largely discredited supported this and fueled conspiracy theories that the 2020 election had been stolen from Trump.
- Several Republican electors who submitted votes falsely asserting that Trump won Arizona in 2020 have been indicted along with several Trump allies, including the president's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani. The former New York City mayor has pleaded not guilty in the case.
What we're watching: Aaron Thacker, a spokesperson for Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes, said in a phone interview it's unclear how the executive order would affect Arizona's "federal-only" voters.
- These are people who registered to vote using a federal form but didn't have the proof of citizenship required by state law, so they're only permitted to vote in federal races.
- Representatives for the Trump administration did not immediately respond to Axios' requests for comment in the evening on the legality of the order and how it might affect Arizona's federal-only voters.
Editor's note: This a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
