White House Orders Citizenship Verification to Safeguard Federal Elections

The White House has ordered federal agencies to verify citizenship before federal ballots are issued, directing the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to build state-by-state citizenship lists and prioritizing the prosecution of any official who hands a ballot to someone not legally eligible to vote.

Executive Order 14399

On March 31, 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order 14399, "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections." The order states plainly that "the right to vote in Federal elections is reserved exclusively for citizens of the United States under the Constitution and Federal law," and cites the criminal statutes — 18 U.S.C. 241, 611, and 1015, and 52 U.S.C. 20511 — that already make non-citizen voting a federal crime.

State Citizenship Lists

The order directs the Secretary of Homeland Security, through U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and in coordination with SSA, to compile and transmit to each state's chief election official a State Citizenship List — a list of individuals confirmed to be U.S. citizens who will be 18 or older at the time of the next federal election and who reside in that state.

Those lists must be transmitted no fewer than 60 days before each regularly scheduled federal election, and updated promptly on request for special elections.

Prosecuting Ballots to Ineligible Voters

The Attorney General is directed to prioritize investigation and prosecution of state and local officials — and anyone else involved in administering federal elections — who issue federal ballots to individuals not eligible to vote, including non-citizens. The order also targets anyone who prints, produces, ships, or distributes ballots to ineligible voters.

Securing Mail-In Ballots

The order directs the U.S. Postal Service to begin rulemaking within 60 days to secure mail-in and absentee ballots, including:

• Marking all outbound ballot envelopes as Official Election Mail.
• Requiring a unique Intelligent Mail barcode for tracking.
• A Mail-In and Absentee Participation List so the Postal Service transmits ballots only to enrolled, eligible voters.

A final rule is due within 120 days.

The SAVE Act

Separately, the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act would require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote in federal elections, tying registration to verifiable citizenship documents rather than an honor system.

Why It Matters

Federal law already makes it a crime for non-citizens to vote in federal elections. Executive Order 14399 and the SAVE Act move enforcement from a paper promise to operational reality — citizenship verified before a ballot is issued, mail-in ballots tracked, and officials who break the law prioritized for prosecution.