Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
Trump signs an election executive order demanding proof of citizenship and federal access to voter rolls, and a court permanently blocks its key provision
Executive Order 14248 told the Election Assistance Commission to change the national voter-registration form. A federal judge held that the president lacks authority to set election rules.
What happened
On March 25, 2025, Trump signed Executive Order 14248 on elections. It told the Election Assistance Commission, an independent bipartisan agency, to require documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter-registration form within 30 days. It ordered DHS and the Social Security Administration to open citizenship data to states, and DHS and the DOGE administrator to review every state’s voter rolls.
The order directed the attorney general to sue states that count mail ballots received after Election Day, and told the EAC to withhold their funds. It also ordered the EAC to rescind prior certifications of voting equipment. Voting-rights groups sued, arguing the president has no authority over election procedures.
On October 31, 2025, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly permanently enjoined the proof-of-citizenship directive, finding the president lacks authority to set election rules. The government appealed on December 23. On January 30, 2026, she also blocked citizenship checks for public-assistance enrollees and military and overseas voters, and dismissed the mail-ballot claims as unripe. On March 31, 2026, Trump issued a second election order, EO 14399.
Who benefited
The White House and the Justice Department gained a vehicle for asserting federal authority over voter-registration rules and state voter data. The DOGE operation was written into election administration. The order gave the attorney general a mandate to pressure states that count late-arriving mail ballots.
Who wanted something
The order came from the White House and tracked the SAVE Act then pending in Congress. The president cited claims of noncitizen voting and foreign money. It extended the DOGE operation, then led by Elon Musk, into state voter files.
Who lost out
Eligible citizens who lack a passport or matching citizenship documents faced new barriers to registering by mail. Military and overseas voters faced added documentation demands. States lost control over voter data and faced threatened funding cuts.
Why it matters
The Constitution assigns election rules to the states and Congress, and a court found the order’s central provision exceeded presidential power. It blocked the provision permanently. The order still set the agenda for the later Justice Department demands for state voter rolls and for the 2026 executive order on mail voting.
Sources Federal Register (primary)U.S. District Court for D.C. (via Democracy Docket) (primary)PBS NewsHour / APCivil Rights Litigation Clearinghouse