US House passes new bill that will officially change elections after Trump executive order
A significant alteration to the US electoral system has been officially approved after Donald Trump endorsed an executive order through newly passed legislation.
Since returning to the White House in January for his second presidential term, Trump has authorized numerous executive directives – some generating more debate than others. These include changing the Gulf of Mexico's name to the Gulf of America, eliminating the Department of Education, and implementing measures with substantial implications for medical patients.
In the previous month, the 47th President authorized a directive titled: 'Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections'.
"While pioneering self-governance, the United States currently lacks enforcement of basic and necessary voter protections used by modern developed nations, and even developing countries," the directive explains. "Nations like India and Brazil connect voter identification to biometric databases, whereas the United States primarily uses self-declaration for citizenship verification."
A bill detailing this process is now moving through Congress. The House of Representatives endorsed the legislation Thursday (April 10), voting 220-208 to approve the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, commonly called the Save Act.
Voters must now present 'documentary proof of US citizenship' when registering for federal elections. Acceptable identification includes US passports, documents meeting REAL ID Act of 2005 standards, official military ID cards, and other valid government-issued photo identification.
The directive additionally requires states to collaborate with federal agencies, including Homeland Security and the State Department, to share voter information and pursue legal action using a standard registration form.
According to The Guardian, approximately 50 percent of US citizens lack passports, while Democrats highlight that some voters no longer possess birth certificates. US passports cost $165.
Georgia Democrat Nikema Williams stated: "That's plainly a poll tax and obvious voter suppression."
Republican representative Mary Miller countered: "All week we've heard Democrats claim rural Americans, women and people of color cannot obtain identification. This argument is offensive, patronizing and false. Identification is required for most daily activities."
After signing the executive order at the White House last month, Trump stated to journalists: "Election fraud – you've heard about it. We aim to eliminate it, hopefully. At minimum, this represents significant progress toward that goal."
