A federal judge struck down President Donald Trump’s attempt to require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration forms on Friday, delivering a major legal setback for the administration.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, a Clinton appointee, sided with left-wing and “civil rights” groups that had challenged the executive order.
The ruling bars the Trump administration from enforcing its directive mandating documents such as passports, birth certificates, or Real ID-compliant driver’s licenses for voter registration in federal elections.
The order, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” aimed to bolster election security by directing federal agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, and Department of State, to provide states with access to federal databases for verifying voter eligibility and citizenship.
Agencies operating under the National Voter Registration Act were also required to verify citizenship before distributing federal voter registration forms to recipients of public assistance.
Judge Kollar-Kotelly found the proof-of-citizenship requirement unconstitutional, ruling it violated the separation of powers.
“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes,” she wrote.
The judge emphasized that the Constitution grants no direct role to the president in setting voter qualifications or regulating federal election procedures, per Trending Politics.
The ruling provides a partial summary judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, permanently barring the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from adding a proof-of-citizenship requirement to federal forms.
The decision mirrors a preliminary injunction the judge issued in April against similar voter ID provisions, noting that Congress is actively debating related legislation and that the executive branch cannot bypass the legislative process.
The court battle comes amid ongoing political debate over voter identification laws and citizenship verification. Public polling has shown strong support for these measures across party lines.
A Gallup survey conducted before the 2024 election found that 84 percent of U.S. adults favored requiring identification to vote, while 83 percent supported proof-of-citizenship mandates for first-time registrants.
Among Republicans, support was nearly unanimous, at 98 percent for voter ID and 96 percent for proof of citizenship.
Independent voters backed the measures at a rate of roughly 84 percent, while 66 percent of Democrats supported proof-of-citizenship requirements.
Election integrity has long been a focal point of Trump’s policy agenda. Speaking to Breitbart News in August, he said, “The system, it’s not a question of being broken — the system is corrupt. It’s a corrupt system. A mail-in ballot will always be corrupt. When you go to a polling location and they want your identification and everything, the way — you can’t really vote unless it’s a legit deal.”
Trump also highlighted concerns about mail-in ballots and the security risks associated with ballots passing through multiple hands.
The ruling is a notable defeat for Trump, who has repeatedly pushed for stricter voting rules to curb what he claims is widespread election fraud.
By preventing the federal proof-of-citizenship requirement from taking effect, the court ensures that voter registration procedures will remain primarily governed by the states and existing federal law, rather than a presidential mandate.
Judge Kollar-Kotelly’s decision reinforces the constitutional limits on executive authority in election matters and underscores the legal obstacles the Trump administration faces in implementing nationwide voter verification rules.
