March 25, 2025 Preserving And Protecting The Integrity Of American Elections - Executive Order

Purpose and Overview

The order emphasizes the need to strengthen election integrity by enforcing existing federal laws, improving voter eligibility verification, ensuring uniformity in ballot counting, and preventing foreign interference. It compares U.S. election practices with other nations, citing vulnerabilities in vote verification, mail-in ballot procedures, and foreign influence.

🔹 Key Motivations and Issues Cited

• Unlike other countries such as India, Brazil, Germany, Denmark, and Sweden, the U.S.:

  • Largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.

  • Allows mass mail-in voting, with some states accepting ballots without postmarks or those received after Election Day.

  • Uses varied voting methods that raise concerns about chain-of-custody and public trust.

• Federal laws such as:

  • 2 U.S.C. 7 and 3 U.S.C. 1 mandate a uniform Election Day, but many states still count late-arriving ballots.

  • 18 U.S.C. 611 and 1015 prohibit non-citizen voting, yet enforcement has reportedly lapsed.

  • 52 U.S.C. 30121 prohibits foreign political contributions, yet loopholes allegedly permit indirect influence.

    
    

🔹 Major Policy Directives

1. Proof of Citizenship Requirement for Voter Registration

• The Election Assistance Commission (EAC) must require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for national mail voter registration forms.

• Acceptable documents include a:

  • U.S. passport

  • REAL ID–compliant ID showing citizenship

  • Military ID indicating citizenship

  • Government-issued photo ID accompanied by citizenship proof

• States must record the document type, issue/expiration dates, issuing authority, and unique ID numbers.

2. Access to Federal Databases for Voter Verification

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and State Department must:

  • Provide access to federal databases to help verify voter citizenship or immigration status.

  • Compare state voter rolls with federal immigration databases (52 U.S.C. 20507).

  • Share data on foreign nationals who admitted to voting or registering on immigration forms.

• The Social Security Administration is directed to provide access to:

  • The Social Security Number Verification Service

  • The Death Master File

  • Other relevant databases for use by state election officials

3. Enforcement and Prosecution of Election Crimes

• The Attorney General is tasked with:

  • Prioritizing prosecutions under 18 U.S.C. 611, 1015(f) and similar laws

  • Sharing data with state attorneys general

  • Using federal grants as leverage to promote state compliance

• The DOJ will:

  • Pursue information-sharing agreements with states to report suspected election violations.

  • Take action against non-cooperative states by withholding grants or increasing federal enforcement.

4. Changes to Voting Systems and Equipment Standards

• The EAC must:

  • Amend Voluntary Voting System Guidelines 2.0 to prohibit use of barcodes or QR codes for vote tabulation (except for accessibility needs).

  • Require voter-verifiable paper records.

  • Review and potentially re-certify all voting systems within 180 days.

  • Report any discrepancies in Help America Vote Act (HAVA) spending to the DOJ.

• The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) must:

  • Audit the security of all election systems connected to the internet.

  • Prevent non-citizens from accessing election materials or systems.

5. Uniform National Election Day Compliance

• Federal law (2 U.S.C. 7; 3 U.S.C. 1) sets Election Day as the deadline for ballots to be received (except for overseas and military voters under 52 U.S.C. 20301).

• The DOJ and EAC are required to:

  • Enforce these laws strictly.

  • Withhold federal election funds from non-compliant states.

  • Ensure states adopt uniform, non-discriminatory standards defining what constitutes a vote.

6. Foreign Influence and Lobbying Restrictions

• The Attorney General must enforce:

  • 52 U.S.C. 30121, which bans foreign contributions to U.S. elections.

  • 31 U.S.C. 1352, prohibiting lobbying by entities receiving federal funds.

    
    

🔹 Impact on Prior Executive Actions

• The order revokes implementation of Executive Order 14019 ("Promoting Access to Voting") and requires agencies to report on their compliance with this rescission.

  • EO 14019 was previously revoked by EO 14148 (Jan. 20, 2025).

    
    

🔹 Legal References

The order directs or cites enforcement of the following statutes:

• 2 U.S.C. 7; 3 U.S.C. 1: National Election Day

• 18 U.S.C. 611, 1015: Prohibitions on non-citizen voting

• 52 U.S.C. 20507, 20508, 21081, 30121: Voter list maintenance, registration procedures, voting system standards, foreign interference

• 8 U.S.C. 1373(c): DHS information sharing with states

• 31 U.S.C. 1352: Lobbying restrictions for federal grantees

• REAL ID Act of 2005: ID requirements for citizenship verification

• Help America Vote Act (Public Law 107-252) and National Voter Registration Act (Public Law 103-31)

  
  

🔹 Implementation Timelines

• 30 days: EAC must update voter registration form requirements

• 90 days: DHS must provide information on foreign nationals who registered or voted

• 180 days: EAC must review and re-certify voting systems under new standards

  
  

🔹 General Provisions

• The order does not create legal rights or remedies.

• Must be implemented consistent with existing law and subject to appropriations.

• Severability clause ensures the rest of the order remains effective if any part is invalidated.

Reference: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/preserving-and-protecting-the-integrity-of-american-elections/

Writer's Note: Summary made with the use of AI tools for editing and quick processing, facts checked against the order before publishing.