Election Integrity or Power Grab-States’ Rights Disappear for Political Gain?

The March 25, 2025 executive order titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections” appears, on the surface, to promote logical reforms—requiring proof of citizenship to register and mandating mail-in ballots arrive by Election Day. But when examined in constitutional context, this action is far more dangerous than it looks. Every state in America already requires proof of citizenship to register to vote. Federal law mandates applicants to affirm citizenship under penalty of perjury. What this executive order does is create a false pretext of reform in order to federalize state elections—something the Constitution does not authorize a president to do. This is not about protecting elections. It’s about centralizing control, stripping states of their authority, and setting the stage for broader efforts to manipulate the electoral system from the top down. The Supreme Court, in Dobbs v. Jackson, said abortion should be a matter for the states. That ruling was based on the idea that the Constitution does not guarantee a federal right to abortion and that the issue should be returned to state control. If that logic applies to reproductive rights, it certainly applies to elections—an area where the Constitution (Article I, Section 4 and the 10th Amendment) has long vested primary authority in the states. Yet this executive order uses federal power to coerce states into adopting uniform voting procedures under threat of losing funding. That’s not federalism—it’s extortion. And it flies in the face of the same “states’ rights” principle conservatives used to justify overturning Roe v. Wade. Legal challenges are already underway from multiple states and civil rights groups. They argue this order violates the Elections Clause, the 10th Amendment, and the principles of due process. And they’re right. If a president can override election laws with the stroke of a pen, then we are in uncharted constitutional territory—one that opens the door to authoritarian abuse and the erosion of states’ power to protect their own people. This executive order is a power grab disguised as common sense. It’s a bait-and-switch that uses the appearance of electoral integrity to set a precedent for federal overreach. Congress must not stand by. If Dobbs was about returning power to the states, then this must be struck down for the same reason.