President Trump signed an executive order intending to overhaul the U.S. voting process, requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration and imposing restrictions on absentee voting. The order critiques the previous administration’s handling of voter vetting and may face legal challenges, despite contradicting evidence regarding voter fraud.
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump enacted an executive order aimed at implementing significant alterations to the U.S. voting process, which follows his extensive claims of voter fraud. The order criticizes the U.S. for lacking essential election protections and asserts that the previous administration neglected the vetting of voters’ citizenship during elections.
Key changes proposed in the executive order involve modifications to the voting registration process, voter record management, and voting systems. Legal analysts suggest that this order may face challenges in court, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
One notable change under the executive order is that individuals must provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register for federal elections. Acceptable documents include U.S. passports, Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses, military IDs, or federally or state-issued identification.
Moreover, the order stipulates that absentee and mail-in ballots, which Trump has unjustly accused of leading to widespread fraud, must be submitted by Election Day to be counted. Currently, 18 states and Puerto Rico permit the counting of mail ballots received after Election Day if they are postmarked by that date, according to the Associated Press.
States that fail to adhere to the order’s requirements risk losing federal funding and grants. Additionally, voter registration oversight will involve the Department of Government Efficiency, under tech entrepreneur Elon Musk’s leadership, in collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security.
It is essential to note that claims of significant voter fraud in the U.S. have consistently been disproven. An analysis by the Associated Press showed that cases of fraud were limited in battleground states and did not affect electoral outcomes. Reports from Trump’s own 2020 campaign also revealed that there was no substantial evidence supporting the existence of widespread fraud.
Trump’s repeated assertions of large-scale voter fraud emerged after the 2020 presidential election, wherein Joe Biden decisively won. Investigations related to the January 6th Capitol attack further indicated that Trump was informed by his aides that there was insufficient evidence backing his fraud claims. Despite this information, he continued to propagate these allegations beyond the election, especially during the ongoing 2024 electoral campaign.
In conclusion, President Trump’s recent executive order seeks to enforce stricter voting regulations citing unverified claims of fraud. Key changes include new citizenship verification requirements for voter registration and restrictions on absentee voting. Legal disputes are anticipated as the validity of the claims continues to be challenged by evidence that refutes the notion of widespread electoral fraud. Thus, this order’s implications for the U.S. electoral process remain contentious and warrant further examination.
Original Source: www.forbes.com
