President Donald Trump announced his plan to issue an executive order that would require voter identification for every ballot cast, stating there will be “no exceptions.” On Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Voter I.D. must be part of every single vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I will be doing an executive order to that end!!!”
This move comes as Trump and his Republican allies continue to question the integrity of U.S. elections, despite a lack of evidence to support claims of widespread fraud.
Key Points from Trump’s Announcement
- Voter ID Mandate: Trump says every voter will be required to present identification.
- Mail-in Voting Restricted: Only the seriously ill and deployed military personnel would be eligible.
- End to Voting Machines: Trump has renewed calls to replace electronic systems with paper ballots and hand counts, a process experts warn is slower, costlier, and less accurate.
Constitutional Questions
U.S. federal elections are administered by the states, which raises doubts about whether Trump has the constitutional authority to enforce such nationwide rules via an executive order. Legal experts say any such directive would almost certainly face immediate court challenges.
The November 3, 2026, midterms will be the first major electoral test since Trump returned to office in January. Democrats hope to flip control of Congress to block his domestic agenda, while Republicans aim to expand their majority. Trump’s latest push is part of a broader campaign for electoral reforms, following his August pledge to ban mail-in ballots and electronic machines ahead of the midterms.
