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A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked parts of a sweeping executive order signed by President Donald Trump that sought to require federal agencies to assess citizenship status when distributing voter registration forms, dealing another setback to the administration’s efforts to reshape election rules.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ruled that the Constitution’s separation of powers places authority over election procedures primarily with the states and, to a lesser extent, Congress — not the president acting unilaterally.
“Put simply, our Constitution does not allow the President to impose unilateral changes to federal election procedures,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote in the ruling. She was appointed to the bench by former President Bill Clinton.
Key provisions struck down
The decision permanently blocks two provisions of Trump’s executive order that aimed to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements.
Under the ruling, federal agencies may not assess citizenship status before providing federal voter registration forms to individuals enrolling in public assistance programs. The judge also barred the Secretary of Defense from requiring documentary proof of citizenship from military personnel seeking to register to vote or request absentee ballots.
Voting rights advocates said the ruling protects access to the ballot, particularly for service members stationed overseas.
“Our democracy works best when all Americans can participate, including members of our military and their families living overseas,” said Danielle Lang, a voting rights expert with the Campaign Legal Center, which represents the plaintiffs. “Today’s ruling removes a very real threat to the freedom to vote for overseas military families and upholds the separation of powers.”
White House vows to fight ruling
The White House defended the executive order, saying it was designed to strengthen election security, and signaled the administration will continue to pursue the issue.
“Ensuring only citizens vote in our elections is a commonsense measure that everyone should be able to support,” said Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman. “This is not the final say on the matter and the administration looks forward to ultimate victory on the issue.”
Concerns about noncitizens voting were a central theme of Trump’s 2024 campaign and remain a priority for congressional Republicans, who continue to push legislation requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote. However, multiple studies — including reviews by Republican state officials — have found that voting by noncitizens is exceedingly rare.
Part of broader legal pushback
Friday’s ruling is the latest in a series of court losses for the administration’s elections order, which has faced multiple legal challenges since it was signed last year.
In October, Kollar-Kotelly blocked the administration from adding a documentary proof-of-citizenship requirement to the federal voter registration form. Separate lawsuits brought by Democratic attorneys general and by the states of Oregon and Washington — which rely heavily on vote-by-mail systems — have also halted other parts of the order.
The decisions collectively underscore the legal obstacles facing Trump’s attempts to impose nationwide election rules without congressional approval.
