President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday commanding wide-ranging changes to how U.S. elections are conducted, a move that will be swiftly challenged by voting rights organizations across the country.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has repeatedly outlined his extreme vision for U.S. elections, and his administration has taken actions that would, if permitted, vastly increase federal control over elections.
Tuesday’s executive order is an extension of those efforts by attempting to mandate alterations that would make it more difficult for Americans to vote and would strip funding from states who do not comply with the order.
Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias said Tuesday he plans to sue over Trump’s order.
Among the changes, Trump’s order would punish states that count ballots received after Election Day and would make significant modifications to voting systems and security standards for voting equipment.
It would also require proof of citizenship for Americans who attempt to register to vote or to update registration information through a federal form, a move that would make it much harder for eligible voters to use the form.
The Trump administration claimed the executive order was necessary to prevent election fraud, specifically noncitizens voting in federal elections. However, election fraud, including noncitizens voting, is exceptionally rare.
The order directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an agency created by Congress to operate without direct control from the White House, to carry out many of these changes.
The EAC normally assists state and local officials in improving how elections are conducted, by distributing grants to improve election infrastructure and certifying voting equipment.
The EAC would be required to amend the guidelines it uses to determine if voting systems are accessible and secure then re-certify voting systems under those new standards.
The order comes after Trump in recent weeks has repeatedly called on state leaders to pass laws eliminating mail and electronic voting while falsely claiming they are sources of election fraud.
