Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections
The order directs federal agencies to enforce citizenship requirements for voter registration, condition federal election funding on states meeting Election Day ballot receipt deadlines, prosecute election crimes more aggressively, and tighten voting system security standards.
It mobilizes nearly a dozen agencies — including the Election Assistance Commission, the Justice Department, and the Department of Homeland Security — to implement changes affecting how Americans register to vote, how ballots are counted, and how voting equipment is certified.
What this order does
What it orders
The order directs the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to update the national mail voter registration form within 30 days to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship. It directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to give state election officials access to immigration databases for citizenship verification and to supply the Attorney General with records of foreign nationals who indicated they voted. It requires the Social Security Administration and Department of State to open additional federal databases to state election officials. It instructs the EAC to amend Voluntary Voting System Guidelines to require voter-verifiable paper records and to review and re-certify all voting systems within 180 days. It directs the Attorney General to prioritize enforcement of laws barring non-citizens from voting, to pursue information-sharing agreements with state election officials, and to enforce federal Election Day ballot receipt deadlines against states that count late-arriving mail ballots.
The order also directs agency heads to stop implementing the 2021 executive order promoting voting access (EO 14019) and report compliance within 90 days. It conditions EAC and Homeland Security grant funding on state compliance with federal voting standards. A standard severability clause preserves the remainder of the order if any provision is invalidated.
Who it affects
State and local election officials who administer federal elections, Americans who register to vote by mail using the federal form, states that currently count ballots received after Election Day, organizations that receive federal funds and engage in lobbying, and foreign nationals who participate financially in U.S. elections.
Why it matters
Voters registering through the federal mail form will need to supply documentary citizenship proof — such as a passport or REAL ID — not just a self-attestation. States that accept late-arriving mail ballots risk losing EAC funding. Voting machines certified under current standards face potential decertification within 180 days, which could force states to replace or re-certify equipment before the next election cycle.
What must happen and when
How the order is supposed to work
Implementation runs in parallel tracks. The EAC acts first on the registration form (30 days) and voting-system re-certification (180 days), while DHS opens immigration databases to states on a rolling basis. The Attorney General ties enforcement to state cooperation: states that share election-crime data get assistance; those that refuse face prioritized federal enforcement and potential loss of Justice Department grants. Funding leverage runs through both the EAC (Help America Vote Act funds) and FEMA/DHS (Homeland Security Grant Programs). A 90-day compliance report from all agencies feeds back to the President through the Domestic Policy Assistant.
Actions and deadlines
- Update the national mail voter registration form to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship
- Provide the Attorney General complete information on foreign nationals who indicated voting on immigration forms
- Submit agency compliance report on cessation of EO 14019 implementation to the President
- Review and re-certify voting systems under new Voluntary Voting System Guidelines, rescinding prior certifications
- Amend Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0 to require voter-verifiable paper records and eliminate barcode-only vote counting
- Enter information-sharing agreements with chief state election officials on suspected election law violations
- Review and report on the security of all electronic systems used in voter registration and voting
- Enforce federal Election Day ballot receipt laws against states counting absentee or mail-in ballots received after Election Day