Trump Issues Executive Order Including Major Changes To Elections—Here’s What We Know

Topline

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday that promises to bring major changes to the voting process in the U.S., issuing the order after he pushed a litany of false voter fraud claims.

Key Facts

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How Will Voting Registration Change Under The Executive Order?

Documentary proof of U.S. citizenship will be needed to register for voting in federal elections, such as for president and members of Congress. Proofs of citizenship include a U.S. passport, a Real ID-compliant driver’s license, a military ID or a federal or state government-issued ID.

How Are Absentee And Mail-In Ballots Impacted By The Executive Order?

Absentee and mail-in ballots, the latter of which Trump has baselessly accused of provoking large-scale fraud, cannot be counted after Election Day. Puerto Rico and 18 states accept mail ballots received after Election Day, the Associated Press reported, citing the National Conference of State Legislatures and noting ballots are accepted if they are postmarked on or before Election Day.

What Penalties Will There Be For Not Following The Order’s Requirements?

States that do not follow the requirements laid out in the order could potentially lose federal funding and grants.

Will Doge Be Involved In The Voting Registration Process?

Yes, partially. The Department of Government Efficiency, which is headed by tech billionaire Elon Musk, will work with the Department of Homeland Security to review every state’s public voter registration list for “voter list maintenance activities.”

Contra

Voter fraud in the U.S. has not proved to be the large-scale problem Trump has claimed it is. An Associated Press analysis of every potential voter fraud case in battleground states disputed by Trump in the 2020 election found cases of fraud were minimal, did not come close to changing the outcome of elections and showed there was no collusion among groups of people intended to rig voting at a large scale. Additionally, a report commissioned by Trump’s own 2020 campaign reportedly found no widespread election fraud, suggesting the campaign pushed election fraud claims despite knowing they were false.

Key Background

Trump and his campaign repeatedly alleged large-scale voter fraud in the wake of the 2020 presidential election, when former President Joe Biden defeated Trump with 306 electoral votes and 51.3% of the popular vote. A House committee investigation into the Jan. 6 Capitol attack and Trump’s actions on that day found he was told by aides and family there was no backing for the voter fraud allegations he made. Trump continued making the claims years after the 2020 election, even fueling debunked and contested fraud allegations during the 2024 election, though the president largely stopped pushing the claims after results rolling in on election night suggested a clear victory.

Further Reading

Trump Vows ‘Long Term Prison Sentences’ For Election ‘Cheating’—Despite No Evidence Of Major Fraud (Forbes)

Trump’s Pennsylvania Fraud Claims Debunked: Overseas Voter Challenges Latest Claims Spreading In Battleground State (Forbes)

Trump’s Claims Of ‘Massive Cheating’ Struck Down By Philadelphia Officials (Forbes)

Trump Approval Rating Tracker: Here’s Where He Stands—After 2 Months Marked By Court Battles, Trade Wars (Forbes)