Trump Promises to Use Executive Order to Mandate Voter ID, Skipping Senate Approval
The White House is taking steps to reform midterm regulations while voting legislation continues to face delays.
The struggle for dominance over the ballot box has transitioned from the Senate floor to the Oval Office.
On Friday, Trump declared that he is no longer willing to wait for Congress to take action and will instead implement an executive order to require voter identification for the upcoming November midterms. As the SAVE America Act remains stalled in the Senate, Trump took to Truth Social to indicate that he will enforce stringent new requirements irrespective of a legislative decision. “Voter I.D. will be implemented for the Midterm Elections, regardless of Congressional approval!” Trump stated.
The proposed executive order seeks to extend beyond mere photo identification. Trump is advocating for compulsory proof of citizenship for voter registration and proposing a comprehensive prohibition on mail-in ballots, allowing only a few exceptions. Federal data indicates that illegal voting by noncitizens is a crime and occurs very infrequently, yet Trump insists that the existing system is a “scam” that needs to be dismantled. “This is an issue that requires immediate action and must be addressed without delay!” he posted. “If we are unable to pass it through Congress, there are legal grounds that render this scam impermissible.” I will present them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order.
Legal experts and civil rights advocates are gearing up for a significant constitutional challenge. The authority to oversee federal elections has traditionally been assigned to Congress and the states, and past efforts by the administration to alter these regulations through executive orders have faced judicial opposition. A federal judge has recently granted a permanent injunction against a comparable initiative, determining that Trump does not possess the authority to unilaterally alter election laws. “The authority to regulate federal elections is entrusted to Congress and the states — not the president,” the judge stated in a prior ruling. “There is no legal delegation of authority to the executive branch that allows the president to bypass Congress’s deliberative process through executive order.”
Earlier this week, the House approved the SAVE America Act, which mandates that voters present documents such as a birth certificate or passport in person to register. Nevertheless, the bill encounters a stalemate in the Senate, as it does not possess the 60 votes required to advance.
