Washington, D.C. — A federal judge on Friday ruled that former U.S. President Donald Trump’s directive to require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration is unconstitutional and cannot be enforced.
U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sided with the Democratic National Committee and civil rights organizations that challenged Trump’s executive order to overhaul election procedures. The judge found that the proposed rule violated the separation of powers, saying the president has no authority to alter voter registration requirements established by Congress.
“Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes,” Kollar-Kotelly wrote. She added that the Constitution grants no direct role to the President in setting voter qualifications or federal election procedures.
The decision grants the plaintiffs partial summary judgment, permanently barring the U.S. Election Assistance Commission from adding a citizenship documentation requirement to the national voter registration form.
The ruling is a setback for Trump’s allies, who argued the measure was needed to bolster confidence in U.S. elections. The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Other challenges to Trump’s election order — including a rule requiring all mailed ballots to be received by election day rather than postmarked — remain under court review.
