Top State Official Criticizes New Executive Order on Voter Lists
A recently signed executive order by the President has come under fire from a prominent state official. The executive order is aimed at creating a nationwide list of voters who have been verified as eligible. The Secretary of State for a major state has issued a statement criticising the move.
The Executive Order's Main Points
The new directive instructs the Homeland Security Department to collaborate with the Social Security Administration. Their goal is to generate a list of potential voters for each state. In addition, the President wants the Postal Service to stop sending absentee ballots to individuals not included on the state's approved voter list. The executive order also advocates for ballots to be placed in secure envelopes, each containing a unique barcode for tracking purposes.
Facts about Voting Fraud
While the President’s move seems to be motivated by concerns about voting fraud, such instances are exceptionally uncommon. For instance, in a major state, between the years 1982 and 2025, there were only 15 instances of noncitizen voting, as disclosed by the Secretary of State. He further stated, "Our system is designed to swiftly identify and resolve any issues that arise."
The Secretary of State's Statement
The Secretary of State's full response to the executive order was comprehensive and clear:
"Presidential authority does not extend to elections. That power is granted to the states and Congress by the Constitution of the United States. This latest executive order does not enhance that and could put citizens' legal right to vote at risk. We are analyzing the executive order now and are prepared to take any necessary steps to safeguard our state's elections."
He continued, "Our state's vote-by-mail elections symbolize years of secure and accurate elections, lifting obstacles for citizens who wish to engage in our democratic process. The occurrence of voting fraud is extremely rare. Since 1982, there have only been 15 instances of noncitizens voting in our state, which amount to 0.000006% of all the ballots cast. If problems do arise, our system is designed to swiftly identify and rectify them."
"Our state ensures election security by regularly examining its voter rolls and facilitating voting by sending ballots to all registered voters. The President’s attempt to prevent registered voters from receiving ballots is both unconstitutional and unfair to voters."
He concluded, "Our state continues to enhance voter access while maintaining the integrity of our elections. Elected officials should focus on protecting the constitutional rights of voters in our state, not making it more difficult."
The President's Views on Mail-In Voting
The President has been an outspoken critic of mail-in voting, claiming it is fraught with fraud. He is pushing lawmakers to pass a comprehensive elections bill that would impose restrictions on mail-in voting. Interestingly, the President himself has used mail-in ballots in the past, including in recent local elections in Florida.