WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has announced plans to sign an executive order mandating voter identification for every election, declaring there would be “no exceptions.”
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Saturday, Trump wrote: “Voter I.D. Must Be Part of Every Single Vote. NO EXCEPTIONS! I Will Be Doing An Executive Order To That End!!!”
He added that mail-in voting would be prohibited, except for people who are gravely ill and members of the military stationed overseas.
Trump also reiterated his longstanding demand for the exclusive use of paper ballots, calling for an end to electronic voting machines.
The announcement marks Trump’s latest attempt to overhaul the US electoral system, which he continues to insist—without evidence—was marred by fraud in the 2020 presidential election he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.
Multiple investigations, including by Trump’s own administration, have found no evidence of widespread fraud.
Voter identification laws currently vary across the country. According to Ballotpedia, 36 US states require voters to present identification at polling stations, with 25 requiring photo ID under certain conditions.
Fourteen states, however, do not require any identification for in-person voting. Trump’s order seeks to impose a uniform national requirement, which legal experts say could trigger immediate constitutional challenges.
The US Constitution gives states and Congress—rather than the president—the power to regulate elections.
Earlier this year, parts of a March 2025 executive order signed by Trump were struck down by a federal judge.
That order had required documentary proof of citizenship to vote in federal elections, but US District Judge Denise J. Casper ruled it “violates the Constitution” and unlawfully interferes with state authority.
Civil rights groups have long argued that strict voter ID laws disproportionately affect minority communities, students and the elderly.
A study by the nonprofit group VoteRiders found that people of colour are almost four times more likely than white citizens to lack a valid government-issued photo ID.
The same report estimated that 34.5 million Americans either lack a driver’s licence or state ID, or hold one that is outdated, creating significant barriers to voting.
The November 2026 midterm elections will be the first national test of Trump’s policies since his return to power in January.
