President Trump Signs Election Integrity Executive Order to Ensure ‘Free, Fair and Honest Elections Unmarred by Fraud, Errors, or Suspicion’

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On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed executive order “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.” 

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The order begins: “Despite pioneering self-government, the United States now fails to enforce basic and necessary election protections employed by modern, developed nations, as well as those still developing.”

“Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic.  The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election” the order continues.

In the order, President Trump lays out safeguards that other countries have utilized to ensure fair elections, and compares them to practice in the United States:

India and Brazil, for example, are tying voter identification to a biometric database, while the United States largely relies on self-attestation for citizenship.  In tabulating votes, Germany and Canada require use of paper ballots, counted in public by local officials, which substantially reduces the number of disputes as compared to the American patchwork of voting methods that can lead to basic chain-of-custody problems.  

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Further, while countries like Denmark and Sweden sensibly limit mail-in voting to those unable to vote in person and do not count late-arriving votes regardless of the date of postmark, many American elections now feature mass voting by mail, with many officials accepting ballots without postmarks or those received well after Election Day. 

The order addresses the importance of voter integrity:

Under the Constitution, State governments must safeguard American elections in compliance with Federal laws that protect Americans’ voting rights and guard against dilution by illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error.  Yet the United States has not adequately enforced Federal election requirements that, for example, prohibit States from counting ballots received after Election Day or prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote.

Prior to detailing laws and directives, the executive order declares:

Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic.  The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election.

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