Trump Signs Executive Order Purporting to Restrict Mail-in Voting
The order broadens the administration’s effort to expand federal input in state and local elections.
On March 31, President Trump signed Executive Order 14399, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” The White House announced the order amidst stiff negotiations in Congress over the SAVE America Act, a bill that would raise proof of citizenship requirements to vote, and roughly seven months ahead of the 2026 Congressional Midterm Elections, with primaries already well underway.
The executive order purports to expand federal control over state-run federal elections in order to crack down on election fraud via mail-in ballots, stating, “The Federal Government has an unavoidable duty under Article II of the Constitution of the United States to enforce Federal law, which includes preventing violations of Federal criminal law and maintaining public confidence in election outcomes.” The order continues:
To enhance election integrity via the United States Mail, additional measures are necessary. Secure ballot envelope identifiers provide a reliable, auditable mechanism to enforce Federal law without unduly burdening or infringing on the rights of eligible voters. Unique ballot envelope identifiers, such as bar codes, enable confirmation that only citizens receive and cast ballots, reducing the risk of fraud and protecting the integrity of Federal elections.
It follows a previous order signed by Trump in March 2025 that attempted to exert federal control over state-held voter rolls, portions of which were later challenged in court.
Read the executive order here or below:
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