A federal judge has issued a ruling that prevents specific federal agencies from inquiring about citizenship status when handing out voter registration forms. This decision marks a significant setback to a sweeping executive order on elections signed by former President Donald Trump last year.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, based in Washington, emphasized that the case centers on the Constitution’s separation of powers, which grants states—and to some degree, Congress—the authority to establish election rules.
“In essence, our Constitution does not permit the President to unilaterally alter federal election procedures,” stated Judge Kollar-Kotelly, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton.
The ruling permanently halts two specific sections of the executive order that aimed to enforce proof-of-citizenship requirements.
Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s decision clarifies that federal agencies are prohibited from “assessing citizenship” before providing voter registration forms to individuals signing up for public assistance. Additionally, the ruling states that the Secretary of Defense cannot mandate documentary proof of citizenship from military personnel who are registering to vote or requesting ballots.
“Our democracy functions best when all Americans have the opportunity to participate, including military members and their families residing overseas. Today’s ruling eliminates a genuine threat to the voting rights of overseas military families and reinforces the separation of powers,” remarked Danielle Lang, a voting rights advocate with the Campaign Legal Center, which is representing the plaintiffs in this case.
The White House said Trump’s executive order was intended to ensure “election security” and said Friday’s ruling would not be the last word.
“Ensuring only citizens vote in our elections is a commonsense measure that everyone should be able to support,” said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman. “This is not the final say on the matter and the administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”
The specter of noncitizens voting and tainting elections was a central strategy for Trump and Republicans during the 2024 campaign, and congressional Republicans are continuing to push proposals that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote. Research, even among Republican state officials, has shown voting by noncitizens is a rare problem.
Friday’s ruling is among several setbacks for the president’s executive order, which has faced multiple lawsuits. In October, Kollar-Kotelly blocked the administration from adding a documentary proof of citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form. Separate lawsuits by Democratic state attorneys general and by Oregon and Washington, which rely heavily on mailed ballots, have blocked various portions of Trump’s order.
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