A federal judge on Friday permanently blocked part of an executive order issued by former President Donald Trump that required proof of U.S. citizenship on federal voter registration forms. The decision was described by one plaintiff in the case as “a clear victory for our democracy.”
Senior U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly, who serves in the District of Columbia, ruled that the directive violated the constitutional principle of separation of powers. She sided with Democratic and civil liberties groups that had filed a lawsuit against the administration over the March 2017 executive order, which mandated that voters present a U.S. passport, a REAL ID-compliant document, military identification, or similar proof to register for federal elections.
In her 81-page ruling, Judge Kollar-Kotelly stated that the Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the states and Congress. She concluded that the president does not have the authority to direct such changes. “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,” she wrote.
The judge explained that the Constitution outlines two key areas of power over federal elections: determining who is qualified to vote and regulating election procedures. In both cases, the authority is primarily vested in the states. For election procedures, the Constitution grants Congress the power to override state regulations.
She further emphasized that the Constitution does not assign any direct role to the president in either domain. This is the second time that Judge Kollar-Kotelly has ruled against the proof-of-citizenship requirement. In April, she issued a temporary injunction blocking parts of the directive.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) praised the decision, stating that the court reaffirmed a long-standing principle: that the president does not have the authority to change election procedures simply because he wants to. “The court upheld what we’ve long known: The president doesn’t have the authority to change election procedures just because he wants to,” the organization said on social media.
Sophia Lin Lakin, a plaintiff and attorney with the ACLU, called the ruling a “clear victory for our democracy.” She criticized the executive order as an unconstitutional attempt to impose a documentary proof of citizenship requirement on federal voter registration forms.
Trevor Potter, president of the Campaign Legal Center, also welcomed the decision. He stated that the ruling reinforced the constitutional framework that gives the states and Congress, not the president, the responsibility to regulate elections. “This federal court ruling reaffirms that no president has the authority to control our election systems and processes,” he said.
Potter added that the decision would help prevent the president from unilaterally imposing barriers to voter registration that could hinder millions of Americans from participating in elections. “We are glad that this core principle of separation of powers has been upheld and celebrate this decision,” he said.
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