Washington, D.C., US – US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he intended push through voter ID requirements for the November midterm elections.
Held in the middle of a presidential term, midterm elections are usually regarded as a referendum on the sitting president’s policies.
Electoral rules are largely managed by individual states, not the federal government in Washington. Some states already mandate photo ID to vote, while many others do not.
Trump to present legal justification
The US leader took to his Truth social media platform and accused the Democrats of opposing voter identification because ‘they want to continue to cheat in elections’, without providing evidence to support the claim.
“There will be voter ID for the midterm elections, whether approved by Congress or not!” Trump said, giving no legal rationale to underpin his assertion.
“If we can’t get it through Congress, there are legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an executive order,” Trump wrote.
The US president did not go as far as explaining how he would go about imposing such rules, which critics contend would prevent millions of legitimate voters from participating in the vote.
The Brennan Center for Justice found more than 21mn Americans lack easy access to such documents.
In its analysis, the nonpartisan law and policy institute said it would ‘disenfranchise Americans of all ages’, especially young people and ethnic minorities.
The SAVE America Act
Trump is backing a bill that would require proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.
The Republican controlled House on Wednesday passed the SAVE America Act that would also require voters to show a photo ID before being allowed to cast a ballot.
The bill, which faces stiff Democrat opposition, is not expected to make it past the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to pass before heading to the president’s desk to be signed.
Republicans control 53 seats, and there is opposition within GOP ranks to the bill.
DW
