US President Donald Trump on Tuesday (local time) signed an executive order overhauling the US federal elections to “enforce basic and necessary election protections” employed by modern, developed, and developing nations.
Citing examples of India and some other nations, the US president stated that voters will now be required to show proof of citizenship during federal elections and restricted the time states are able to receive mail-in votes.
According to the statement in the order, countries like India and Brazil have linked voter identification to biometric databases for greater accuracy, while the US predominantly relies on self-attestation of citizenship, raising concerns over verification.
Moreover, it stated that in vote tabulation, Germany and Canada mandate paper ballots counted publicly by local officials a method that minimises disputes whereas the US employs a varied mix of voting systems, often leading to chain-of-custody issues.
The order also highlights further disparities, citing examples of Denmark and Sweden restricting mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and rejecting late-arriving ballots regardless of postmark, while many US states have embraced widespread mail-in voting, with some accepting ballots without postmarks or those arriving well after Election Day.
“India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship. In tabulating votes, Germany and Canada require use of paper ballots, counted in public by local officials, which substantially reduces the number of disputes as compared to the American patchwork of voting methods that can lead to basic chain-of-custody problems,” the order read.
“Further, while countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving votes regardless of the date of postmark, many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, with many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day,” the order added.
According to the order, the Election Assistance Commission is directed within 30 days to update its national mail voter registration form to require documentary proof of US citizenship such as a passport, REAL ID-compliant identification, military ID, or other government-issued photo ID indicating citizenship along with detailed recording of the document by state or local officials.
Moreover, to identify unqualified voters, the Secretary of Homeland Security must provide state and local officials free access to citizenship verification systems, while the Secretary of State will share relevant database information.
Federal agencies under the National Voter Registration Act are also tasked with verifying citizenship before distributing voter registration forms to public assistance enrollees, the order added.
