President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at tightening rules on mail-in voting nationwide. The order directs his administration to compile a national list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state, and to restrict mail-in ballot access.
The executive order also instructs the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to collaborate on the voter list. Additionally, it directs the United States Postal Service to establish rules requiring states to notify the agency of voters intending to use mail-in ballots, limiting access to a USPS-approved list.
The move has drawn immediate threats of legal challenges from voting rights groups and Democrats, with election law scholars questioning the President’s constitutional authority. Trump has repeatedly and falsely claimed widespread voter fraud led to his 2020 election defeat, and his party anticipates potential losses in the upcoming November elections.
The President himself voted by mail last week, despite his ongoing campaign against the practice.