Trump Signs Executive Order to Change Mail-In Voting Rules

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump signed a sweeping executive order Tuesday aimed at tightening voter eligibility rules and reshaping how mail-in ballots are tracked and distributed in federal elections.

The order directs federal agencies to compile and share “State Citizenship Lists” with election officials, identifying U.S. citizens eligible to vote based on age and residency. The lists, developed by the Department of Homeland Security in coordination with the Social Security Administration and other databases, are to be regularly updated and sent to states ahead of federal elections.

Trump said the measure is intended to restore confidence in elections, focusing on what he described as vulnerabilities in mail-in voting and broader concerns about voter integrity.

"The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary," he said. "It’s horrible what’s going on."

The directive also instructs the attorney general to prioritize investigations and potential prosecutions involving the issuance of ballots to individuals not eligible to vote, as well as any role in the production or distribution of such ballots.

On mail-in voting, the order calls on the U.S. Postal Service to begin a rule-making process within 60 days. Proposed changes include requiring ballots to be clearly marked as official election mail, incorporating unique tracking barcodes and undergoing Postal Service design review.

Under the plan, states would also notify the Postal Service when using mail-in or absentee ballots and provide lists of eligible voters, enabling the agency to maintain records tied to ballot distribution.

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the administration is working toward a system that links each ballot to a trackable envelope, allowing officials to verify participation.

Trump said additional measures, including voter identification and proof-of-citizenship requirements, are under consideration.

"The only people that don’t want to do voter ID are people that cheat," Trump said.

The executive order is likely to face legal challenges, which Trump acknowledged, though he expressed confidence it would stand.

The order states that voting in federal elections is reserved exclusively for U.S. citizens and asserts that additional safeguards, including ballot tracking measures, are necessary to maintain public confidence in election outcomes.

"If you don’t have honest voting," Trump said, "you can’t have, really, a nation."