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President Donald Trump has issued an executive order that may change several election voting processes.
On Tuesday (March 25), Trump signed an order called "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections" in an effort to promote "free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion," per Newsweek.
"The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election," the order reads.
Trump's executive order would change several election processes to achieve its stated goal. The order requires voters to provide documentation to prove their citizenship, such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate.
States would also be required to submit voter lists and records of voter list maintenance for review by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Federal agencies are aiming to work with states to identify individuals on voter rolls who aren't U.S. citizens.
Trump's executive order would also set a hard deadline for mail-in ballots to be "cast and received" by Election Day.. Under the order, the Election Assistance Commision would be instructed to advise against voting systems that rely on ballots that use barcodes or QR codes in the vote-counting process.
Georgia and other states currently use machines that print a paper ballot with a summary of voter's selection and a QR code read by a scanner to count the vote.
"The amended guidelines and other guidance shall provide that voting systems should not use a ballot in which a vote is contained within a barcode or quick-response code in the vote counting process except where necessary to accommodate individuals with disabilities and should provide a voter-verifiable paper record to prevent fraud or mistake."
Foreign nationals would also be barred from making donations under Trump's executive order.
"Federal law, 52 U.S.C. 30121, prohibits foreign nationals from participating in Federal, State, or local elections by making any contributions or expenditures," the order states. "But foreign nationals and nongovernmental organizations have taken advantage of loopholes in the law's interpretation, spending millions of dollars through conduit contributions and ballot-initiative-related expenditures. This type of foreign interference in our election process undermines the franchise and the right of American citizens to govern their Republic."
Trump's executive order is likely to face legal challenges.
Roughly 11 percent of eligible voters in the U.S. don't have a government-issued photo ID, so Trump's order would likely exacerbate voter suppression. When it comes to mail-in ballot deadline, 18 states and Puerto Rico currently accept votes after Election Day as long as they are postmarked before that date.
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