Trump’s Election Executive Orders Face Legal Hurdles But Threaten Midterm Integrity

Donald Trump’s obsession with rigged elections didn’t end with 2020. Instead, he has launched a series of executive orders aiming to insert the federal government into election administration in ways never seen before. While courts have so far blocked most of these orders, the threat they pose to the integrity of the upcoming midterms cannot be dismissed.

According to Nathaniel Rakich, Managing Editor at Votebeat, Trump’s first major election order tried to impose strict citizenship verification on voter registration and overhaul voting machine certification. These provisions were swiftly challenged as unconstitutional because election administration is explicitly a state and congressional responsibility, not a presidential one. As a result, none of those measures are currently in effect, and elections are proceeding normally.

The second executive order, issued about a year later, focuses on voting by mail—a method Trump has repeatedly attacked. It directs the U.S. Postal Service to maintain a list of voters authorized to receive mail ballots and block ballots from anyone not on that list. However, the order is vague on how these lists are created or verified. It also instructs the Department of Homeland Security to compile a list of all adult U.S. citizens by state, but this list does not account for voting eligibility restrictions such as felony disenfranchisement.

This federal meddling in voter rolls, traditionally managed by states and counties, risks confusion and potential disenfranchisement. Rakich emphasizes that while these orders have been legally constrained so far, the administration’s relentless efforts to reshape election rules could still disrupt the midterms and erode public confidence in the democratic process.

The bottom line: Trump’s executive orders may not be fully operational today, but their intent and potential impact demand close scrutiny. As the midterms approach, we must remain vigilant against attempts to weaponize election administration and protect the fundamental right to vote.