Trump Lacks Authority to Enact Latest Election Integrity Executive Order
Donald Trump recently issued an executive order aimed at ensuring election integrity by mandating the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to create a nationwide database of voting-age citizens. The order requires states to submit voter lists to the U.S. Postal Service sixty days before elections, barring mail delivery to unlisted individuals. However, legal experts and election officials argue that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to enforce such measures, as election control primarily resides with states and Congress has not passed corresponding legislation like the SAVE America Act. Critics describe the order as legally dubious and practically unworkable, noting it could disenfranchise voters affected by recent disasters. Despite initial anxiety, the reaction from experts suggests the order is less severe than earlier drafts proposing a national emergency takeover. This development, alongside recent political defeats for authoritarian figures like Viktor Orbán, indicates resilience against efforts to subvert democratic processes. The article emphasizes that while concerns about free and fair midterm elections persist, the limited power of this specific executive action provides grounds to resist doomerism regarding the 2026 electoral landscape.
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Trump Lacks Authority to Enact Latest Election Integrity Executive Order
Donald Trump recently issued an executive order aimed at ensuring election integrity by mandating the Department of Homeland Security and Social Security Administration to create a nationwide database of voting-age citizens. The order requires states to submit voter lists to the U.S. Postal Service sixty days before elections, barring mail delivery to unlisted individuals. However, legal experts and election officials argue that Trump lacks the constitutional authority to enforce such measures, as election control primarily resides with states and Congress has not passed corresponding legislation like the SAVE America Act. Critics describe the order as legally dubious and practically unworkable, noting it could disenfranchise voters affected by recent disasters. Despite initial anxiety, the reaction from experts suggests the order is less severe than earlier drafts proposing a national emergency takeover. This development, alongside recent political defeats for authoritarian figures like Viktor Orbán, indicates resilience against efforts to subvert democratic processes. The article emphasizes that while concerns about free and fair midterm elections persist, the limited power of this specific executive action provides grounds to resist doomerism regarding the 2026 electoral landscape.
theatlantic