Federal Judge Blocks Key Portions of Trump’s Voter Integrity Executive Order

The Trump administration launched a series of measures aimed at tightening election integrity by requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections. 

These efforts, designed to prevent illegal voting and ensure election security, have encountered significant legal resistance.

In March, President Trump issued an executive order mandating that federal voter registration forms require documentary proof of citizenship. 

This order also directed the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to enforce these new rules and required states to verify and record citizenship documents presented by voters. 

Additional provisions sought to impose stricter requirements on absentee ballots for military and overseas voters, as well as new protocols for federal voter registration agencies to assess citizenship before distributing voter forms to individuals enrolled in public assistance programs.

However, a federal judge in Massachusetts has temporarily blocked the administration from implementing five key sections of the order. 

U.S. District Judge Denise Casper granted a preliminary injunction in response to a lawsuit filed by attorneys general from 19 states. 

The judge found that the states have a strong likelihood of prevailing in their challenge against the executive order, which they argue oversteps presidential authority and conflicts with existing federal laws.

“There is no dispute (nor could there be) that U.S. citizenship is required to vote in federal elections,” Judge Casper wrote, according to CBS News. “The issue here is whether the president can require documentary proof of citizenship where the authority for election requirements is in the hands of Congress.” 

She emphasized that Congress has not mandated such proof in voter registration laws and that changes to federal voter registration forms must go through formal rulemaking procedures involving notice and comment, as well as consultation with states.

The judge ruled that the executive order’s directive to the EAC conflicts with congressional intent and exceeds the president’s constitutional authority. 

She described the order as “undue interference” in election regulations, which Congress and the states primarily govern. 

The injunction also prevents the administration from enforcing the directive requiring the Department of Defense to update absentee voting applications to include citizenship documentation.

Further provisions blocked include requirements for federal voter registration agencies to verify citizenship before issuing forms and instructions for the attorney general to act against states counting late-arriving mail ballots. 

Judge Casper noted these mandates would impose costly burdens on states and could suppress voter registration and turnout, which she said contradicts congressional objectives to facilitate voter participation.

The legal challenge reflects ongoing tensions between efforts to secure elections and concerns over access and voter rights, CBS News reports. 

The Trump administration’s executive order was issued amid claims—unsubstantiated by election officials—that the 2020 election experienced widespread fraud.

The U.S. Constitution assigns Congress the power to regulate federal elections, while state legislatures set the details of election administration. 

Laws like the National Voter Registration Act and Help America Vote Act provide the framework for voter registration without requiring documentary proof of citizenship.

Currently, it is illegal for noncitizens to vote in federal or state elections, with penalties including fines, imprisonment, deportation and loss of legal status for those convicted of voting fraud.

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