A newly passed bill in the United States is set to transform the nation’s election process following an executive order signed by Donald Trump.
Since his return to the presidency for a second term in January, President Trump has enacted a series of executive orders, some of which have sparked significant debate.
Among these orders are renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, dissolving the Department of Education, and implementing changes that could significantly impact healthcare patients.
In the previous month, the 47th President of the United States approved an order titled: ‘Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections’.
The legislation states, “Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing.”
It further mentions, “India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.”
A new bill outlining the specifics of this order is now proceeding through Congress.
The US House of Representatives gave the green light to the bill on Thursday, April 10, with a 220-208 vote in support of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, also known as the Save Act.
Under this legislation, voters participating in federal elections will be required to present ‘documentary proof of US citizenship’ upon registration. Accepted forms of identification include US passports, REAL ID Act-compliant identification documents, official military ID cards, and other valid Federal or State government-issued photo IDs.
The order also mandates that states collaborate with federal bodies like the Department of Homeland Security and the State Department to exchange voter lists and pursue legal action for crimes using a standardized registration form.
The Guardian highlights that approximately half of US citizens do not possess a passport, and Democrats have raised concerns about voters lacking birth certificates.
In the United States, a passport costs $165.
Georgia Democrat Nikema Williams commented: “Y’all, that’s a poll tax, plain and simple, and it’s blatant voter suppression.”
Meanwhile, Republican Representative Mary Miller remarked: “This past week and today, all we hear are the Democrats sharing their concerns that rural Americans, women and people of color are not capable of getting an ID. This is insulting, condescending and an untrue argument. You need an ID for most everything else in daily life.”
After the executive order signing at the White House last month, Trump told reporters, “Election fraud. You’ve heard the term. We’re going to end it, hopefully. At least this will go a long way toward ending it.”