Explained | What does Donald Trump’s latest executive order mean for elections in the United States?

In a significant move, US President Donald Trump has signed a sweeping executive order aimed at reshaping the county’s electoral system. A key highlight of the order is the proposed mandatory requirement of proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections—a move that could redefine voting rights and election integrity.

The debate over non-citizen suffrage has been a topic of public discourse since the nation’s founding, and this latest measure adds a new chapter to the ongoing conversation on election reforms. The order also sets a strict deadline for mail-in ballots, requiring that they be received by Election Day.

It also mandates that all votes must be cast and received by Election Day and ties federal funding to state compliance with this rule. As it stands, 18 states and Puerto Rico currently accept mailed ballots after Election Day, provided they are postmarked on or before the deadline, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

US President Donald Trump says, Proof of citizenship, voter ID, one-day voting and paper ballots. Paper ballots are very secure, they have watermarked papers. It’s actually very intricate, it’s very technologically advanced even though it’s paper. And you’d have no trouble, you wouldn’t have dishonest elections.

The order also bans voting systems that rely on QR codes or barcodes for vote counting and prohibits foreign nationals from making certain political donations. Additionally, states that refuse to cooperate with federal election crime investigations risk losing federal grants. With its sweeping measures, the order has the potential to reshape the voting landscape, though experts anticipate legal challenges on constitutional grounds.