Order calls for proof of US citizenship to vote

US President Donald Trump signed an executive order earlier this week that would require voters to prove they are US citizens and attempts to prevent states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

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The sweeping order also would seek to take federal funding away from states that do not comply.

Trump has long questioned the US electoral system and continues to falsely claim that his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden was the result of widespread fraud.

The president and his Republican allies also have made baseless claims about widespread voting by non-citizens, which is illegal and rarely occurs.

Last year the Republican-controlled house of Representatives approved a bill that would ban non-citizens from registering to vote in federal elections, a practice that is already illegal. It did not pass the Senate, which was then controlled by Democrats.

The White house’s order seeks to achieve similar goals. Voting rights groups argued that it, like the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act that did not become law, would disenfranchise voters, particularly people of color, who do not have access to passports or other required identification.