Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections

The order directs DHS, through USCIS and in coordination with the Social Security Administration, to compile "State Citizenship Lists" — federally verified rosters of confirmed U.S. citizens aged 18 or older who reside in each state — and transmit them to chief state election officials no fewer than 60 days before each scheduled federal election. It directs the Attorney General to immediately prioritize investigating and prosecuting election officials, contractors, and others who issue or distribute ballots to ineligible voters. It orders the USPS Postmaster General to propose a rule within 60 days requiring unique Intelligent Mail barcodes on all outbound ballot mail and establishing a state-specific enrollment list for mail-in voters; a final rule must issue within 120 days. DHS must build the supporting infrastructure within 90 days. States and localities are directed to preserve election participation records for five years.

The order does not itself register anyone to vote or change existing voter eligibility law; the State Citizenship List confirms citizenship status only, and state registration requirements still apply independently. Implementation of the mail-in ballot standards depends on completion of the USPS rulemaking, and states retain the option of notifying USPS of their mail-in voting intent in advance. Noncompliant states and localities risk withholding of federal funds where such withholding is authorized by existing law.

All state and local election administrators nationwide, voters who use mail-in or absentee ballots, election contractors, and entities involved in ballot printing and distribution. Federal agencies — DHS, SSA, USPS, and DOJ — are directed to build new coordination infrastructure. States risk losing federal funds for noncompliance.

State election offices will be required to integrate a new federal citizenship database into their pre-election processes, and mail-in ballots must eventually meet new USPS barcode standards. Election officials who issue ballots to ineligible voters now face a heightened federal prosecution priority, and states that fall out of compliance risk federal fund withholding.

DHS must build citizenship-list infrastructure within 90 days, drawing on SSA records and DHS's SAVE database, then push updated lists to states at least 60 days before every federal election. USPS proposes rules within 60 days and finalizes them within 120 days; once final, those rules would require states to notify USPS 90 days before elections and submit eligible voter lists 60 days out before transmitting any mail-in ballots. DOJ enforces through criminal referrals and fund withholding. A severability clause preserves the rest of the order if any provision is struck.