IN FOCUS - Mar. 28, 2025

This week, President Trump signed a sweeping Executive Order to “preserve and protect the integrity of American elections,” standardizing a bulk of procedures across all states.

The move set off a furious reaction from Democratic election officials. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called President Trump’s action “a power grab” and hinted at a legal challenge - going so far as to claim the Executive order “sets the stage to cancel the 2026 election.”

The Executive Order’s provisions are as broad as its mandate. It requires documented proof of citizenship for all voters; allows Elon Musk’s DOGE to review state-managed voter registration databases; bars states from counting ballots postmarked on Election Day but received after; and cuts federal funding of non-compliant states.

In a column today, former Maricopa County Recorder Stephen Richer notes that Arizona already requires people to prove their citizenship when registering to vote in state or local elections. The courts, however, have required that the state allow an estimated 35,000+ voters who haven’t demonstrated their citizenship to vote in federal-only races. What happens to those voters now? And what about the estimated 218,000 additional voters of uncertain citizenship status due to the infamous MVD glitch?

Rapid courtroom guidance may be necessary - the special Primary Election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District is coming on July 15.