On Tuesday afternoon, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that would strip away the right to vote for millions of U.S. citizens, including many who are members of marginalized communities.
“The ‘Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections’ order is a clear attempt to disenfranchise those who do not support Trump,” said Liza Gordon-Rogers,” a research officer with the Union of Concerned Scientists’ (UCS) Center for Science and Democracy. “If allowed to stay, it would further put free and fair elections in the United States and subsequently, democracy as we have known it, at risk.”
The executive order seeks to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements to register to vote, restrict mail-in voting and potentially end online voter registration. It mandates individuals provide specific documentation, such as a U.S. passport, to register to vote. The move was cited by the Trump administration as necessary to combat voter fraud, which has been repeatedly shown to be extremely rare.
This requirement would disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible voters who don’t have immediate and easy access to those documents and can’t easily register to vote in person. Those from less affluent communities, communities of color, young and elderly voters, and those with disabilities are more likely to experience difficulties accessing these documents, making the order clearly discriminatory.
The executive order would also allow the Department of Government Efficiency, led by unelected billionaire Elon Musk, and the Department of Homeland Security to view publicly available voter files and other unspecified records—work that is usually done by state election officials. This is a thinly veiled effort to consolidate power in the federal government and take away states’ rights.
The order is likely to be fiercely fought in the courts, and the law is not on the president’s side. The power to change elections in this way does not lie with the president. The U.S. Constitution gives states the power to regulate elections and for Congress to override those laws. The executive order is a clear overstep of presidential power.
Meanwhile, elected representatives in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Texas, also are attempting to undermine U.S. citizens’ foundational and long-held rights to vote through similar methods, also claiming with no proof that people without U.S. citizenship are voting in U.S. elections and using that conspiratorial claim to try to implement discriminatory, burdensome and unnecessary voting requirements.
“Trump’s executive order is a blatant attack on democracy,” said Gordon-Rogers. “The time is now to fight against this move and other attempts to undermine free and fair elections and push the nation into autocratic rule.”
Election administrators should work to improve voting accessibility by increasing transparency, communication with voters and reducing errors that can result in disenfranchisement.
UCS recommends doing so with the following methods:
•Publish inactive/removed voter registration records at least 30 days prior to registration deadlines to allow voters to verify and rectify their registration status.
•Use multiple communication methods, including mail, email, phone calls and text messages, to improve chances that voters are informed about removal or potential removal from voter rolls.
•Track and publicize additions, deletions and modifications to voter rolls to enhance accuracy of voter files and provide clear records of wrongful removals or changes.
More information about these recommendations can be found in a blog by Gordon-Rogers and a 2024 policy recommendations report.