President Donald Trump announced Saturday night on Truth Social that he plans to issue an executive order requiring all voters in the U.S. to show identification.
Trump said voter ID “Must Be Part of Every Single Vote. NO EXCEPTIONS!” and added that he would be “Doing An Executive Order To That End.” He also said he wants to stop mail-in voting except for seriously ill people and military members serving overseas.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Saturday for comment.
Why It Matters
This announcement comes after Trump’s March executive action, which already required proof of citizenship to register for federal elections and said all ballots must be received by Election Day.
The new voter ID plan would add another layer of rules on top of the citizenship checks already in place.
If carried out, the executive order would change the voting process itself, not just registration. Mandatory voter ID could affect millions of Americans, especially in states where voters currently don’t need a photo ID.
Trump’s announcement shows he is not waiting for Congress to pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act (SAVE Act), which would create similar proof-of-citizenship rules through legislation.
What To Know
Federal elections are run by states, which raises questions about whether the president can require the same voter ID rules everywhere.
Right now, voter ID laws differ a lot from state to state. Some states require a photo ID, while others accept other forms of verification or signed statements.
Trump’s March executive order already required proof of citizenship for voter registration and said ballots must arrive by Election Day. States that didn’t follow these rules risked losing federal funding.
The order also asked agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) to share information with election officials to find potential non-citizens on voter rolls.
The Brennan Center for Justice says about 21.3 million U.S. citizens don’t have easy access to proof of citizenship, which could make it harder for some people to vote.
Voting rights groups are especially concerned about married women who changed their last names, since their birth certificates may still show their maiden names. Problems like this have already come up in New Hampshire elections under the state’s new proof-of-citizenship law.
Trump has repeatedly claimed, without evidence, that voter fraud and non-citizen voting are widespread. Experts say these problems are very rare.
He continues to support paper ballots and hand counts over electronic voting, even though officials warn these methods take longer, cost more, and are less accurate. He also keeps claiming that his loss to former President Joe Biden in 2020 was due to fraud, despite no proof.
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on Truth Social: “Voter I.D. Must Be Part of Every Single Vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I Will Be Doing An Executive Order To That End!!! Also, No Mail-In Voting, Except For Those That Are Very Ill, And The Far Away Military. USE PAPER BALLOTS ONLY!!! President DJT”
