President Donald Trump has signed a major executive order requiring documentary proof of citizenship in order to vote in federal elections. The action, announced Tuesday, is aimed at ensuring that only eligible U.S. citizens cast ballots in national races.

The new order mandates that individuals must present government-issued proof of citizenship — such as a U.S. passport, REAL ID, or qualifying military or federal identification — when registering to vote. States that do not comply with the requirements could lose access to federal funds for election-related purposes.

🚨 POTUS signs an executive order on election integrity that includes the following provisions:

– Requires documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on its voter registration forms.
– Conditions federal election-related funds on states complying with the integrity… pic.twitter.com/6A5zVdOAYn

— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) March 25, 2025

Trump described the move as long overdue and necessary for preserving public trust in the nation’s elections. “It’s an honor to sign this one,” he said at the White House. “We think we’ll be able to end up getting fair elections.”

BREAKING: Voting rights advocates say Trump's executive order requiring proof of citizenship 'could block millions from voting'

Isn't that the point? pic.twitter.com/vY2RlJHT7k

— TaraBull (@TaraBull808) March 26, 2025

The executive order also requires that all ballots in federal elections be received and reviewed by Election Day. Trump has repeatedly voiced concerns over ballots being counted after Election Day and about noncitizens being included on voter rolls.

The directive instructs the attorney general to work with state election officials by establishing information-sharing agreements designed to identify instances of voter fraud or violations of election law. It further directs the Election Assistance Commission to revise the federal voter registration form to include a mandatory citizenship verification requirement.

FREE, FAIR, and HONEST Elections.

“This will go a long way towards ending it [election fraud]. There are other steps we will be taking…We’ve got to straighten out our elections.” – @POTUS

🇺🇸 Proof of citizenship
🇺🇸 Prevent foreign interference
🇺🇸 Prosecute election crimes pic.twitter.com/nlftxgHCi5

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 25, 2025

According to the order, the federal government has failed “to enforce basic and necessary election protections,” referencing past efforts that blocked states from removing noncitizens from their rolls. Trump has often pointed to this issue as evidence of how voter integrity has been undermined.

Critics immediately claimed the order could prevent many Americans from voting, but Trump allies argue the directive simply ensures that federal elections reflect the will of American citizens. A similar proposal, the SAVE Act, is currently being pushed in Congress to permanently require citizenship documentation during voter registration.

Under the order’s terms, states would be ineligible for federal election assistance funds unless they adopt the required standards for verifying citizenship and ballot deadlines.