WASHINGTON, March 26: In a bold move to overhaul the U.S. electoral system, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming for significant reforms in how elections are conducted. The order mandates that voters must prove their American citizenship, ensures that only mail-in or absentee ballots received by Election Day are counted, and bans non-U.S. citizens from donating to certain elections.
Trump emphasized the need for stricter voter protections, pointing to countries like India and Brazil, where voter identification is tied to a biometric database. He criticized the U.S. for its reliance on self-attestation for citizenship, comparing it unfavorably with election practices in other nations. “India and Brazil are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship,” he stated. Additionally, Trump highlighted the U.S. election system’s inconsistent approach to ballot processing, contrasting it with countries like Germany and Canada, which use paper ballots for vote tabulation to ensure more secure elections.
The executive order also tackles the issue of mail-in voting, which has been a contentious issue in recent U.S. elections. Trump pointed out that countries like Denmark and Sweden limit mail-in ballots to those who cannot vote in person and reject ballots received after Election Day, regardless of the postmark. “Many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, with many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day,” he said, underscoring the need for more rigorous and uniform voting systems.
This move is part of Trump’s broader agenda to restore what he perceives as the integrity of U.S. elections, which he has frequently claimed were compromised during the 2020 Presidential Election. He reaffirmed his belief that “free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion” are essential to maintaining the U.S. constitutional republic. “The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election,” Trump concluded.
