US President Donald Trump signed a new executive order on Tuesday evening, aiming to strengthen the rules for federal elections. He has previously criticized the existing rules, claiming they are vulnerable to manipulation and that the 2020 presidential election against Joe Biden was lost due to such manipulation.
The new order includes measures such as requiring only US citizens to register to vote in federal elections, with proof of citizenship to be demonstrated through documents. The order also stipulates that absentee ballots must be received by the relevant authorities by the election day, with later-arriving ballots to be disregarded.
According to the presidential order, the US has failed to implement “basic and necessary election protection measures.” The states are being urged to collaborate with federal authorities, update voter rolls and prosecute election fraud. To ensure compliance, Trump has announced that he will exert financial pressure, with certain federal funds only to be allocated to states that implement the order.
Trump has also announced plans to introduce further reforms to the electoral process in the coming weeks. However, the order must first withstand legal scrutiny, as numerous organizations have already announced their intention to file lawsuits against it.