Trump’s order creates much confusion before federal election in 2026

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Atlanta – President Donald Trump’s executive order seeks to change the way U.S. elections are creating uncertainty for state and local election officials and fearing voter chaos ahead of the next federal election Mid-2026.

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Election officials are already dealing with the federal government’s loss of some cybersecurity assistance and are now facing the potential for significant changes, including new voter registration requirements, an anatomy of certain voting systems, and stricter voting deadlines in many states.

In Connecticut, state secretary Stephanie Thomas hopes the state’s voting scanner just purchased for $20 million can be accepted under executive orders, but she is concerned about other states.

“That’s not to say states have millions of dollars, they can only upgrade their election equipment every few years,” Democrat Thomas said. “Imagine people buying new equipment and no longer using it. There is no remedy in the order.”

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Since Trump’s orders could face legal challenges, it is unclear what is needed and when. This means more uncertainty among election officials.

“I don’t know what the timetable for executive orders is,” Joseph Kirk leads the elections in Bartoon County, Georgia. “I really hope we’ll get some of these things as soon as possible because whatever the answer is, I need to take care of my constituents.”

Order to insert the federal government into state elections

In Tuesday’s order, Trump criticized the work of election officials across the country and praised other countries’ election methods. Trump has long questioned the integrity of the U.S. election, after his White House victory in 2016, when the Republicans won the election academy but lost the popular vote for Democrat Hillary Clinton, his support would have been higher, and if it weren’t for a large number of non-citizens.

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Trump goes on to claim that his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden was the result of a “manipulation” of the election. There is no evidence of widespread fraud, nor is there any evidence that the voting system is manipulated, and Trump has commented several times in the state that challenged the results to confirm his losses.

In the years since, election officials in many parts of the United States have suffered harassment and threats, skeptical record requests and record requests for legislative changes promoted by national lawmakers, who believe the new restrictions are necessary to restore public confidence.

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Trump’s order, coupled with his administration’s recent decision to suspend certain cybersecurity efforts and fund the election office’s dedicated information-sharing network, has attracted attention to the federal government’s role in the election.

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“States hold elections, but the federal government has been a vital partner in assisting election officials,” said Larry Norden, an election security expert at the Brennan Justice Center. “To be a partner, you have to be trusted. You have to provide consistency and certainty. This has been completely destroyed in recent months.”

Concerns about the requirement to prove U.S. citizenship

One of the main changes outlined in the Executive Order is that people show documentary proof when registering for a vote. This is Republicans pushed by Congress at Trump’s urging last year, but the effort has stalled among the Senate Democratic opposition.

House Republicans plan to try again the U.S. Guarantee of American Voters’ Qualification Act, called the Save Act. The House Committee is scheduled to discuss the bill on Monday.

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After the order was executed, several Republicans, who were senior state election officials, issued statements praising and guiding federal agencies to help states verify voter qualifications and citizenship. Their democratic counterparts are even more important.

Voting rights groups are raising concerns about citizenship requirements. They say millions of Americans are not easy to obtain birth certificates, only about half of the U.S. passports, and married women need multiple documents in case of name change.

Although non-citizen votes do occur, it usually involves a small percentage of the votes, not personal mistakes, rather than intentional and coordinated attempts to subvert the election. It could also lead to felony charges and deportation. Under Trump’s order, the burden will bear the election of officials to implement the requirement. Experts say it will be expensive and there is no other federal funding to help with payments.

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“This creates a whole new bureaucracy in every state to collect data, store data, and retrieve data,” said David Becker, a former Justice Department attorney. “You don’t wield your wand and do that.”

Increase the risk of voter chaos

Kate Sweeney Bell, who runs the Marion County elections in Indiana, said she did not expect significant problems on her state because of its restrictive voting laws, which she said led to the lowest turnout among some voters in the country. But she is concerned about the amount of public education needed to ensure voters are aware of any change.

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“I feel like all other states that don’t have allergic laws that Indiana has enforced, because it’s a tough election cycle when that change happens,” Sweeney Bell said.

One challenge is the possibility of a protracted legal battle that will delay the clarity of election officials and the public.

“If election officials are uncertain about the rules, there is no doubt that voters will not understand them – distrust in the process and ultimately distrust of the results,” said Ryan Macias, an expert in the election security and voting system.

Uncertainty comes when election officials are preparing for the 2026 election. Dean Logan, who oversees the Los Angeles County elections, said successful elections depend on a broad range of programs, a well-trained workforce and proper equipment.

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“Last-minute changes or unilateral demands greatly increase the risk of voter chaos and operational inconsistencies and may erode voter confidence,” he said.

Orders may cause changes in voting machines without paying

Trump’s orders also target the voting system in a way that may require some counties to replace machines without providing additional money to help them pay for it. It directs the U.S. Election Assistance Commission to be an independent and bipartisan agency created by Congress to modify the voting system’s voluntary standards to prohibit the use of barcodes or QR codes on the ballot, but for equipment designated by persons with disabilities.

The order requires a commission to review within 180 days, re-certify where appropriate, and “acquire all previous voting equipment certificates according to previous standards”. In addition to the legality of the order, federal law outlines specific procedures and public comment periods for updating standards, experts say.

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While some voting systems do not use barcodes, the process of replacing devices takes time, said Mark Lindeman, director of policy and strategy. The election office must be approved for use in the new voting system, conduct the procurement process, wait for the manufacturer to ship the equipment, and eventually train workers how to use it.

“It’s hard for any state to procure, get and test new voting systems, and if many states have some crazy haste to replace their voting systems right away, we don’t know how many systems the manufacturers can offer,” Lindeman said.

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