Trump Signs Executive Order Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration

But is it legal?

Donald Trump has signed a new executive order. This one requires prospective voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote.

The order also requires states to share data for prosecuting election crimes and grants federal agencies access to check state databases “for consistency with federal requirements.” Federal agencies can also share data with states, such as immigration and Social Security records, so that they can verify the eligibility of names on their voter rolls.

Voting rights advocates say that if enacted, these new provisions could block millions of Americans from voting. Trump, they add, also lacks the legal authority to make these changes.

“It’s illegal at many different levels,” said Sean Morales-Doyle, the voting rights director at the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonprofit that studies and advocates for voting rights, told NPR.

Just ahead of the 2024 election, Trump and his allies made unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.

Experts also caution that outdated databases can mistakenly classify naturalized citizens as noncitizens. Last year, an attempt to purge noncitizens from voter databases incorrectly removed U.S. citizens.

The current federal voter registration form requires voters to provide a driver’s license number, a Social Security number, or a military ID. Additionally, they must certify under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens and eligible to vote. Those who attempt to vote illegally may face prison time or deportation.

The order states that potential voters can prove U.S. citizenship with a passport, an ID that complies with the REAL ID Act showing citizenship, or a military ID indicating U.S. citizenship. However, the order does not specify that a birth certificate would suffice.

Morales-Doyle noted that the order’s failure to mention birth certificates aligns with Trump’s effort to abolish birthright citizenship.

According to Apollo Academy, only 48 percent of American citizens have a passport.

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