ANALYSIS
The order, signed March 25, threatens our democracy by intending to require burdensome documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, encouraging the purging of eligible voters from error-prone database comparisons, and attempting to pressure states from counting mail-in and absentee ballots properly mailed on Election Day.
“We are dismayed by President Trump’s attempt to undermine civic engagement and vilify immigrant communities, including Asian Americans. Voting is a fundamental right, not a privilege, for all who are eligible, and all eligible votes must be counted during elections," said Asian Americans Advancing Justice in a statement
"Documentary proof of citizenship, like a passport, is onerous because many Americans don’t have it readily available or even handy when they register to vote."
FYI: Read the lawsuit, League of Women Voters et. al. v. Trump et. al.:,
The Constitution clearly specifies that Congress and the states can set the rules for our elections, not the President.
Nevertheless, the White House claims that the executive order is necessarily to prevent noncitizens from voting even though there is no evidence they do in significant numbers in the United States. The order threatens states that do not comply with the loss of federal funding.
Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, called the order “the farthest-reaching executive action taken” in the country’s history.
Nevertheless, the White House claims that the executive order is necessarily to prevent noncitizens from voting even though there is no evidence they do in significant numbers in the United States. The order threatens states that do not comply with the loss of federal funding.
Will Scharf, the White House staff secretary, called the order “the farthest-reaching executive action taken” in the country’s history.
The Order’s misguided focus on database matching is alarming because it is prone to errors due to outdated and contradictory information," responds AAAJ. "We know that these Homeland Security databases generally don’t contain information about US-born citizens. As a result, those who are caught in this unwarranted fishing expedition are most likely to be eligible voters who are naturalized citizens. Past attempts to match voter lists at the state level have already erroneously removed many eligible voters."
“This executive order is rooted in baseless rhetoric around voter fraud and noncitizen voting, which is extremely rare, proving yet again that the ultimate goal of this administration is to prevent American citizens who are disfavored by this Administration from voting," says AAAJ.
"This executive order comes from the same xenophobic impulse as the suspension of federal grants to community organizations helping immigrants naturalize. We saw that same rhetoric in the attempt to slash the Constitutional guarantee of birthright citizenship. We stand firm in our commitment to protecting vulnerable communities and making sure that every eligible individual can make their voice heard at the ballot box.”
The groups are challenging the order’s usurpation of powers, including its directive for the US Election Assistance Commission to change the federal voter registration form to require burdensome submission of documents to prove citizenship, which many Americans do not have or cannot easily acquire.
Several audits by nonpartisan groups and states, including those that voted for Trump and even the conservative think-tank, the Heritage Foundation, have not found any evidence that noncitizens are registering to vote at significant rates.
The coalition which filed the lawsuit against the executive order, released the following joint statement:
“The president has no constitutional or statutory authority to unilaterally dictate how elections are run. This executive order is a blatant violation of the separation of powers. Election rules are decided by Congress and the states, and any attempt by the executive branch to override their power violates the Constitution. This order, based on a persistent false and racialized narrative, could disenfranchise millions of eligible voters. It mirrors the SAVE Act, which would add unnecessary barriers to voter registration and silence the voices of American citizens. These unlawful attacks on voting rights are part of a broader effort to undermine our democracy. We have filed suit to stop this executive order and to keep it from interfering with eligible voters’ participation in our elections.”
The executive order and the SAVE Act are just one facet of the overall Republican strategy to weaken the Democratic voters influence. The GOP depends on voter suppression to narrow the margin between Democrats and Republicans because there are more people registered Democrat than Republican. In addition to presenting obstacles to voting and making large portions of the US citizenry ineligible to vote, the GOP use a barrage of lies and misinformation to woo voters to more conservatie policies and Republican candidates.
Prior to a vote on the Executive Order, also known as the SAVE Act, Rep. Terri Sewell n, D-Alabama, sargued against the bill on the House floor on April 1:
"In reality, this legislation would purge thousands of eligible voters from the rolls. It would create significant barriers for the 69 million women who currently got married and changed their last names, so their birth certificates do not match their marriage certificates, and thus it would be harder for these women, almost 70 million women, to vote, and the 140 million Americans that do not have a passport, and those with military IDs and tribal IDs, none of which would be able to prove their birth citizenship. These are not included in the bill as proper forms of ID that will allow someone to show their citizenship."
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