In an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that would require voters to provide proof of U.S. citizenship.
The sweeping order also would seek to take federal funding away from states that do not comply.
Trump has long questioned the U.S. electoral system and continues to falsely claim that his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud. The president and his Republican allies also have made baseless claims about widespread voting by non-citizens, which is illegal and rarely occurs.
The Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill last year that would outlaw the already unlawful practice of non-citizens registering to vote in federal elections. The Senate, which was then dominated by Democrats, rejected it. The White House order aims to accomplish the same objectives. Voting rights organizations contended that it would deny voting rights to voters, especially those of color who lack access to passports or other necessary forms of identification, similar to the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, which was never passed into law.
