The American Democracy Minute Radio Report & Podcast for March 28, 2025
President Donald Trump issued an executive order March 25th implementing portions of the likely doomed Safeguard American Voter Eligibility, or ‘SAVE’ Act. Among its restrictive provisions are a documentary proof of citizenship to register and vote, potentially disenfranchising millions.
Trump’s new order, entitled PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS, withholds federal funding from any state which does not implement the use of the National Voter Registration Form and mandates proof of citizenship documents, including a birth certificate, naturalization papers, a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or a U.S. Passport. A 2024 study found one in nine Americans don’t have ready access to those documents, and when they do, the documents often don’t reflect name and address changes over time.
The order also would force states to end mail-in ballot grace periods, restricting ballot deadlines to election day. It also demands states report illegal voting to the federal government, and directs the Attorney General to withhold federal grants if they don’t. Such requirements attempt to circumvent state voting rights expansions, such as Michigan’s 2022 passage of Proposition 2. It allows states access to any federal agency database, including Homeland Security and Social Security, as a means of verifying voter eligibility.
The order will be challenged. The U.S. Constitution grants the states the power to determine the “Places and Manner of holding Elections” not the President.
Find the text of the order at AmericanDemocracyMinute.org
Today’s Links
Articles & Resources:
The White House – Executive Order: PRESERVING AND PROTECTING THE INTEGRITY OF AMERICAN ELECTIONS
U.S. Congress – U.S. Constitution ArtI.S4.C1.2 States and Elections Clause
Campaign Legal Center – Voting Is an American Freedom. The President Can’t Change That
Brookings – The SAVE Act: An attempt to restrict voting rights
U.S. Elections Assistance Commission – The National Mail Voter Registration Form
NPR – Legal challenges are expected for President Trump’s voter registration executive order
Groups Taking Action:
Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, League of Women Voters US, National Partnership for New Americans,
Register or Check Your Voter Registration:
U.S. Election Assistance Commission – Register And Vote in Your State
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