Court Blocks Documentary Proof-of-Citizenship Provision in Voting Executive Order

Federal court ruled that the U.S. Election Assistance Commission must halt implementation of President Trump’s mandate to require documentary proof of citizenship in federal voter registration while case proceeds

April 24, 2025 2:30 pm

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, a federal court judge issued a in League of Women Voters et. al. v. Trump et. al., temporarily blocking the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from implementing a mandate in the president’s executive order to add a requirement to show a passport or similar document proving citizenship when registering to vote via the federal form. While the case proceeds, this injunction preserves the status quo wherein would-be-voters already affirm under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens on the federal form.

Sophia Lin Lakin, director of the Ƶ's Voting Rights Project, released the following statement:

“President Trump's attempt to impose a documentary proof of citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form is an unconstitutional abuse of power. If implemented, it would place serious and unnecessary burdens on everyday Americans and strain already overburdened election officials. This executive order is part of a broader attack on our democratic elections by promoting baseless nativist conspiracy theories. Today, the court blocked a key strategy of this attack. And we will keep fighting to ensure every eligible voter can make their voice heard without interference or intimidation."

The Ƶ and co-counsel partners representing the League of Women Voters plaintiffs also made the following joint statement in reaction to the preliminary injunction:

“The court’s decision today provides crucial protections for eligible voters, and the organizations that help them register to vote, while the fight continues against this illegal executive order. Millions of U.S. citizens lack easy access to a passport or other documents proving citizenship, and that shouldn’t interfere with their ability to register to vote.

“The president’s attempted takeover of federal elections is a blatant overreach to seize power that doesn’t belong to him. Under the Constitution, that power belongs to the U.S. Congress and states. The president lacks authority to rewrite the country’s election rules on his own by weaponizing an independent, bipartisan commission to harm eligible voters. The order should ultimately be struck down.

“Our clients are conducting voter registration using the federal form on an ongoing basis, including for elections scheduled for this summer and fall. Not only would our clients be harmed by the mandate to include this unnecessary and cumbersome requirement but the voters they serve would be too.”

The plaintiffs in League of Women Voters et. al. v. Trump et. al. are Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote,  Hispanic Federation, National League of Women Voters, League of Women Voters of Arizona, League of Women Voters Education Fund, NAACP, and OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates. They are represented by the Ƶ, Ƶ of D.C., Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC (Advancing Justice – AAJC), Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, the Legal Defense Fund, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

See a copy of the ruling here:


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