_WHAT’S HAPPENING_
The Democratic National Committee and several advocacy groups filed two separate federal lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump's recent executive order on election integrity. The order requires documentary proof of US citizenship for voter registration and directs states to reject mail ballots received after Election Day.
Led by Democratic leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY), the suits argue that Trump has vastly overstepped his constitutional authority by attempting to dictate election rules that should be set by states and Congress. The White House maintains the order is essential to protecting election integrity.
_THE FACTS_
President Trump's executive order directs the Election Assistance Commission to require documentary proof of US citizenship on mail voter registration applications. The current system allows applicants to simply attest to citizenship with a signature.
The order also instructs the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to cross-reference federal data with state voter rolls to identify non-citizens who may be registered to vote.
The Democratic lawsuit specifically targets the data-sharing requirements, claiming they violate privacy rights.
Both lawsuits cite the Constitution's Elections Clause, which grants the states — not the president — the power to determine the "times, places, and manner" of elections unless superseded by congressional legislation.
Trump’s order also directs the attorney general to prosecute individuals who have illegally registered or voted, and instructs states to reject mail ballots that arrive after Election Day.
Illegal migrants voting in elections does not happen, according to Democrats. But a DOGE worker just confirmed that there are “thousands of them on the voter rolls, and many of them had voted.”
“Democrats are in panic mode because they directly benefit from a system where it’s difficult to stop illegal voting by foreign nationals," said Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) in a statement to Upward News. "Fortunately, proof of citizenship to vote is widely popular among Americans, and this attempt to sabotage our election integrity will not succeed.”
Recent referendums back up Senator Lee’s claim: this Tuesday, Wisconsinites overwhelmingly backed adding voter ID to their state’s constitution.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also told Upward News that the Democrats were “implementing a plan to allow non-citizens to swing American elections,” but “President Trump and the Republican Congress are blocking that plan.”
_INSIGHTS_
The legal challenge to Trump's executive order follows a consistent pattern of Democratic opposition to citizenship verification in voting, from resistance to the SAVE Act's citizenship requirements to challenges against state-level voter ID laws. The timing of their objections also coincides with significant demographic shifts in the country, with millions of illegal border crossings during Biden's term as Democrat-aligned NGO’s facilitate these migrants quickly becoming voters.
With elections in 2026 and — perhaps more importantly — 2028 approaching, Democrats are moving quickly to block attempts to ensure American citizens, and only American citizens, can vote in federal elections.
