President Trump's latest executive order to overhaul U.S. elections has provoked a fierce response from the Inclusive Democracy Caucus of the Minnesota Legislature. Signed on Tuesday, March 25, the order shifts significant authority over elections from states to the federal government, mandating citizens show documented proof of citizenship for voter registration and insisting all ballots be received by Election Day.
Under the new order, as reported by the Minnesota Senate DFL, states that fail to comply with Trump's policies could see federal funds being withheld. These strictures, per the Associated Press, could potentially disenfranchise close to 10% of U.S. citizens of voting age who do not have proof of citizenship readily at hand.
Earlier in February, the Trump administration dismissed several employees from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency. These individuals were charged with countering threats to election security, including ransomware attacks and physical dangers.
Minnesota's Inclusive Democracy Caucus Chairs—Senator Liz Boldon, Representative Cedrick Frazier, and Representative Emma Greenman—were among the first to voice their dissent, stating, "Now, Trump is attempting another unconstitutional authoritarian power grab, taking away power from states, and threatening to retaliate against those that don’t adhere to his extreme agenda." They emphasize that this executive order will unduly burden service members abroad, individuals who have changed their names, and others who would struggle to produce documents such as their original birth certificates.
Addressing the broader implications of this move, the caucus chairs further noted, "This unconstitutional executive order is an attack on states like Minnesota, where we pride ourselves on free, fair, and secure elections. It only seeks to concentrate more power in Trump’s hands so he can continue his campaign of election disinformation from the Oval Office."
