President Donald Trump signed an executive order that crackdown on voting by mail. (Photo by Kyle Mazza/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Anadolu/Anadolu via Getty Images
Austin-area election officials say their current ballot operations comply with state and federal laws after President Donald Trump this week issued an executive order targeting mail voting.
Trump signed the order, which seeks to create a national list of citizens to determine voter eligibility and restrict mail ballots, on Tuesday. Critics have linked the move to the president’s continued false claims of widespread voter fraud.
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The order could significantly reshape how elections are administered nationwide, particularly for mail voting, by introducing new federal oversight into a system historically run by states — setting up a likely legal clash over presidential authority, according to legal experts.
What does the order say?
Trump’s order contains several directives, including:
Instructing the Department of Homeland Security to create a “state citizenship list” using data from citizenship and naturalization records, Social Security records and other federal databases
Directing federal officials to send the “state citizenship list” to state election officials
Ordering attorneys general to prioritize the prosecution of election officials who provide federal ballots to ineligible voters
Directing the U.S. Postal Service not to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots from any individual not included on the “state citizenship list”
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How are local election offices responding?
The Elections Division of the Travis County Clerk’s Office and the Williamson County Elections Department said their current operations comply with all state and federal laws.
“The Travis County Clerk’s Office will continue to follow all state and federal laws as determined by the courts,” a spokesperson for the clerk’s office told the American-Statesman. “Our responsibility is to administer elections in accordance with the law, and we remain committed to doing so.”
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Both agencies said they are actively reviewing the president’s recent executive order. The Travis County Clerk’s spokesperson said the office will await formal guidance from the appropriate authorities regarding the order’s legal standing and any required actions.
The Hays County and Bastrop County elections offices did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.
Part of broader voting policy push
Trump’s order comes as he continues to push the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, or SAVE Act, which would overhaul voter registration requirements and add proof-of-citizenship rules.
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His claims of widespread voter fraud — particularly involving mail voting — have been repeatedly debunked, and his administration has continued to prioritize the issue.
Previous efforts have faced legal setbacks.
A court blocked a similar executive order last year that would have required documentary proof of citizenship to vote. In January, another court ruled against an attempt to withhold federal election funds from states that did not change voting procedures.
The administration has also tried to build a national voter database, including seeking access to state voter rolls. Several states — including some led by Republicans — have refused, and related litigation is ongoing.
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Where does the order stand?
Officials in Arizona and Oregon have reportedly indicated they plan to fight the latest executive order in court, according to the New York Times. Marc Elias, a Democratic election lawyer, has also said he plans to file a lawsuit against the directive.
As of Thursday, no legal challenge had been filed.
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