CHICAGO - On Tuesday, March 25, President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the national mail voter registration form to require documentary proof of citizenship, such as a passport, to register to vote.
As organizations who have worked tirelessly to advance and expand access to the ballot across Illinois for many years, we condemn the President’s blatant overreach aimed at changing the progress we have made in our state. Donald Trump would disenfranchise millions of eligible voters – based on the lie that non-citizens are voting in large numbers. This executive order – like so many of Trump’s efforts – is blatantly illegal and attempts to substitute the conspiracy theories of the Trump White House for good policy measures we have adopted in Illinois.
With less than a week before voters across the State of Illinois go to the ballot box in critical important elections, no one should be confused or misled: the President’s order does not impact the ability of people to vote by mail or register on election day in our state for these elections. We encourage everyone who is eligible to participate and vote for candidates who reflect their values in these important local elections.
We encourage any voters with questions to call the non-partisan Election Protection hotline at 866-OUR-VOTE (English), 888-VE-Y-VOTA (Spanish), 888-API-VOTE (Asian languages), or 844-YALLA-US (Arabic).
"President Trump's executive order attempting to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and restrict the acceptance of mail-in ballots received after Election Day, among other measures, is a blatant overreach that threatens to disenfranchise tens of millions of eligible voters," Sophia Lin Lakin, the director of the ACLU’s Voting Rights Project. "This measure will no doubt disproportionately impact historically-excluded communities, including voters of color, naturalized citizens, people with disabilities, and the elderly, by pushing unnecessary barriers to the fundamental right to vote. We will do everything in our power to stop this unconstitutional attack on the right to vote to ensure that every eligible American can participate in our democracy. We will see President Trump in court."
The Order directs the Attorney General to prohibit states from counting mail ballots received after Election Day in elections for President, U.S. Senate, and U.S. House. States that do not comply with the executive order would be subject to funding cuts by Election Assistance Commission.
The executive order states, after citing examples of election procedures in other countries, that "Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election."
Past audits and studies have shown that cases of voter fraud in American elections are rare.
President Trump's order requires states to remove noncitizens from voter rolls. Federal agencies must share data with states, such as immigration and Social Security records, to facilitate states checking voter eligibility. It also insists that states and federal agencies share data to prosecute election crimes, potentially violating individual privacy. The order grants federal agencies, including the head of the Department of Government Efficiency team, access to check state rolls "for consistency with Federal requirements."
Another provision states that when submitting the national mail voter registration form to register or update their information, the only acceptable proof of citizenship are a passport or a REAL ID, military ID, or other valid government ID indicating citizenship. Only about half of Americans have a U.S. passport, and currently, only five states—Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington—offer enhanced driver's licenses that show proof of citizenship.
The order also authorizes the Department of Homeland Security and the DOGE Administrator to review each state’s voter registration list for "consistency with Federal requirements." As part of this requirement, the E.O. allows DHS and DOGE to subpoena state records at their discretion.
While civil liberties and voting rights groups mobilize, many legal experts argue that President Trump lacks the authority through the use of an executive order to make such changes, asserting that the order violates existing federal voting statutes.
