Trump Threatens Executive Order to Impose Voter ID for Midterm Elections

President Donald Trump declared on Friday that he would impose nationwide voter identification requirements for the November 2026 midterm elections, threatening to bypass Congress with an executive order if lawmakers fail to act .

"There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!" Trump posted on Truth Social, escalating weeks of pressure on Republican allies to advance sweeping changes to how Americans cast their ballots .

The threat marks a significant escalation in a long-running battle over election administration that pits presidential authority against state control of voting, a power enshrined in the US Constitution. Legal scholars and voting rights groups say any such executive order would face immediate court challenges, and a federal judge blocked a similar citizenship-verification order from Trump just last October .

Trump's broadside came two days after the House of Representatives passed the SAVE America Act by a narrow 218-213 margin, with only one Democrat, Henry Cuellar of Texas, voting in favour . The bill would require proof of citizenship to register to vote, photo identification to cast a ballot, and would drastically limit mail-in voting .

The legislation now faces steep odds in the Senate, where it needs 60 votes to overcome a filibuster. Republicans hold 53 seats, and Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska has already broken ranks to oppose the proposal . Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has called the bill "dead on arrival," labelling it a fringe piece of legislation that has taken over the Republican Party, masquerading as election security when it is really about laying the groundwork to meddle in the midterm elections .

Only one Senate Democrat, John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, has expressed support for voter ID requirements specifically, though he told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette this week that he does not back other restrictions such as limiting mail-in ballots.

Trump framed voter ID as an existential issue for his party, urging Republicans to make it a centrepiece of their midterm campaigns . The political context is unmistakable: midterm elections typically serve as a referendum on the sitting president, and Trump faces declining poll numbers. He has openly worried that Democrats could reclaim the House majority, potentially exposing him to a third impeachment .

Voting rights groups pushed back forcefully. The Brennan Center for Justice called on the Senate to reject the legislation, warning that these bills are part of a broader federal agenda to sow distrust in elections, undermine election administration, and discourage Americans from making their voices heard . The centre found that more than 21 million Americans lack easy access to the documents that would be required under the proposed rules .

Critics argue that photo ID requirements disproportionately burden low-income voters, elderly citizens, and members of minority communities who may lack passports or birth certificates. Women whose birth certificates do not reflect a married surname could also face difficulties registering .

Supporters counter that voter ID enjoys broad public backing. A 2025 Pew Research Center study found that 95 percent of Republicans and approximately 71 percent of Democrats support requiring photo identification to vote . Roughly 36 states already have some form of voter ID law on their books, though they vary widely in strictness .

However, the picture is more complex on mail-in voting. Polling conducted last year showed that 58 percent of Americans favour allowing any voter to cast a ballot by mail, directly contradicting Trump's claim that the American people are insisting on no mail-in ballots .

The constitutional question looms largest. The US Constitution grants states authority over the times, places and manner of holding elections, and election administration takes place at the state and local level . Trump has openly discussed overriding that framework, telling conservative podcaster Dan Bongino earlier this month that the Republicans ought to nationalise the voting and suggesting the federal government should take over elections in at least 15 places .

Constitutional law experts say such a move would face formidable legal obstacles. The Supreme Court has historically upheld state control over election mechanics, and any executive order attempting to impose federal voter ID requirements would almost certainly face injunctions.

The clash sets up a defining legal and political battle ahead of the midterms. With the SAVE Act stalled in the Senate and Trump promising executive action, the fight over who controls American elections is poised to move from Congress to the courts — and ultimately to the ballot box itself.