This Executive Order, signed by President Donald J. Trump on March 31, 2026, establishes a comprehensive federal framework to ensure that only U.S. citizens vote in federal elections and to implement new security standards for mail-in and absentee ballots.

The administration characterizes the order as a fulfillment of its constitutional duty to maintain public confidence in election outcomes and enforce federal criminal laws regarding voter eligibility.

Key Mandates of the Executive Order:

• State Citizenship Lists: The Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS), in coordination with the Social Security Administration (SSA), is directed to compile and transmit to each state a list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote. This "State Citizenship List" must be updated and provided at least 60 days before any federal election to help states verify eligibility.

• USPS Security Standards for Ballots: The Postmaster General must initiate a rulemaking process within 60 days to set uniform standards for mail-in ballots. Key requirements include:

  • Mandatory "Official Election Mail" logos and design reviews.

  • Unique Intelligent Mail barcodes on every outbound ballot envelope to allow for tracking and auditing.

  • A prohibition on the USPS transmitting mail-in ballots unless the individual is enrolled on a verified "Mail-In and Absentee Participation List" provided by the state.

• Prioritized Prosecutions: The Attorney General is instructed to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of any state or local officials—as well as private entities—involved in the illegal distribution of ballots to non-citizens.

• Enforcement and Funding: The order authorizes the federal government to take "all lawful steps" to address non-compliance, including withholding federal funds from states and localities that fail to adhere to these federal election laws and verification standards.

• Record Preservation: States and localities are directed to preserve all materials related to voter participation (such as ballot envelopes), excluding the actual ballots cast, for a period of five years.

• Individual Redress: DHS must establish procedures allowing individuals to access and correct their citizenship records in federal databases ahead of elections.

The administration frames these actions as a "commonsense" effort to harden the election system against fraud by using federal resources to assist states in maintaining clean and accurate voter rolls.