President Donald Trump. (AP)
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday commanding wide-ranging changes to how U.S. elections are administered, a move that will be swiftly challenged by voting rights organizations across the country.
Since the beginning of his second term, Trump has repeatedly outlined his extreme vision for U.S. elections, and his administration has taken actions that would, if permitted, vastly increase federal control over elections.
Tuesday’s executive order is an extension of those efforts by attempting to make it more difficult for Americans to register to vote, to vastly increase federal supervision over state registration rolls and to punish states that do not comply with the order.
Democracy Docket founder Marc Elias said he will sue over Trump’s order.
The Trump administration claimed the executive order was necessary to prevent election fraud, specifically noncitizens voting in federal elections. However, election fraud, including noncitizens voting, is exceptionally rare.
Democratic election officials quickly decried the order.
“Trump’s executive order is unlawful,” Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said in a statement. “It would prevent eligible Americans from exercising their sacred right to vote. The Trump administration is weaponizing the federal government and trying to make it harder for voters