Trump to restrict mail-in voting, new requirement of identification

(MENAFN) U.S. President Donald Trump has announced plans to issue an executive order aimed at significantly limiting mail-in voting and requiring identification for all ballots. Trump has repeatedly expressed his intention to reform the American voting system, claiming it is vulnerable to fraud.

In a post on Truth Social on Saturday, Trump indicated that the action would largely eliminate vote-by-mail, with only limited exceptions. “Voter ID must be part of every single vote. No exceptions! I will be doing an executive order to that end!!!” he stated. He added, “Also, no mail-in voting, except for those are very ill, and the far away military. Use paper ballots only!!!”

Earlier this month, Trump noted that the executive order is “being written … by the best lawyers in the country.”

The president has long criticized the U.S. election system and has repeatedly cited fraud as the reason for his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, pointing to alleged irregularities in mail-in voting and non-citizen participation. He has also questioned the security of voting machines, advocating for paper ballots and manual counting.

Voting rights organizations have strongly opposed Trump’s proposals. Mandatory voter identification has been particularly controversial, as many eligible Americans do not possess the required documents. A 2023 report by the Brennan Center for Justice and affiliated organizations found that approximately 21.3 million people—around 9% of voting-age U.S. citizens—lack readily available proof of citizenship.

It is also uncertain whether Trump can implement the changes, since federal elections are managed at the state level. Critics have argued that the president may be exceeding his authority, emphasizing that the Constitution does not grant him explicit power to alter the election system.

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