The Daily Fuckup

President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 25, 2025, aimed at reshaping federal election administration through agencies and grant conditions rather than through Congress. The order moved quickly into court: civil-rights and voting-rights groups filed one federal challenge on April 1, and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined a separate state-led lawsuit on April 3.

The White House says the directive would have the Election Assistance Commission require documentary, government-issued proof of U.S. citizenship on the federal voter registration form. It also says federal officials should take action against states that count ballots received after Election Day in federal elections, condition some election-related funding on compliance with the order’s measures, and update voting-system standards and paper-ballot requirements. The order further instructs the attorney general to prioritize election-fraud enforcement and pursue information-sharing with state officials. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-protects-the-integrity-of-american-elections/?utm_source=openai))

The lawsuits argue the president does not have the power to rewrite election rules by executive order. The April 1 case, brought by voting and civil-rights organizations, says the order would force changes to the federal registration form and affect how ballots are treated. Massachusetts’ complaint, filed April 3, says the president lacks authority to overrule Congress’s role in regulating federal elections or to impose the order’s requirements on the states. ([brennancenter.org](https://www.brennancenter.org/our-work/court-cases/league-women-voters-v-trump-march-2025-elections-executive-order?utm_source=openai))

The core fight is over who gets to set the rules. Trump’s order tries to steer federal agencies, law enforcement, and election funding toward a tougher national regime. Opponents say that is exactly the point where presidential power runs out and Congress, the states, and the courts take over. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/2025/03/fact-sheet-president-donald-j-trump-protects-the-integrity-of-american-elections/?utm_source=openai))