Trump’s 2025 Executive Order No. 14248 on Voter Citizenship Verification and the Constitutional Path Forward: How NVIDS Completes the Legislative Vision.
By Howard W. Williams
Founder, USA Technology Solutions Systems, LLC
1. Reaffirming a Shared Goal of Election Integrity
In March 2025, President Donald J. Trump issued Executive Order No. 14248: Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections.
The order sought to strengthen voter verification by requiring documentary proof of citizenship when registering for federal elections.
Its purpose was clear: to ensure that every ballot cast in the United States originates from a verified U.S. citizen — a principle widely shared across the political spectrum and one entirely consistent with the vision of the National Voter ID System (NVIDS™).
While the goal was widely supported, the order’s method raised constitutional and statutory questions about who holds the authority to set such requirements.
To understand those questions, it helps to examine what the Constitution actually says — and what it leaves to Congress.
2. The Constitutional Framework: What It Says — and What It Doesn’t
The U.S. Constitution does not explicitly state that only citizens may vote.
Article I, Section 2 ties voter qualifications for congressional elections to each state’s own laws for its legislature, meaning federal voting eligibility depends on state rules.
For presidential elections, Article II leaves the “manner of appointing electors” to state legislatures.
Congress, however, possesses authority under Article I, Section 4, known as the Elections Clause, to regulate the “Times, Places and Manner” of federal elections.
Using this power, Congress has enacted key statutes — including 18 U.S.C. § 611, which criminalizes non-citizen voting in federal contests, and the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA), which sets federal registration procedures.
Together, these laws make citizenship a statutory requirement for federal elections even though the Constitution itself does not specify it.
3. Congress Requires Citizenship — but Not Documentary Proof
Under the NVRA, voter-registration applicants must attest under penalty of perjury that they are U.S. citizens.
This sworn statement serves as the lawful proof of citizenship for registration purposes.
Congress deliberately chose an attestation system rather than a documentation system to minimize barriers to participation while maintaining accountability.
President Trump’s Executive Order No. 14248 sought to modify that standard by instructing the Election Assistance Commission to amend the national mail voter-registration form to require documentary proof of citizenship — such as a passport, birth certificate, or Real ID card — before a voter could be registered for federal elections.
4. Constitutional Boundaries and the Separation of Powers
Federal courts reviewing the order agreed with its underlying goal but concluded that the President lacked the legal authority to impose new evidentiary burdens without congressional approval.
Because Congress had already defined the acceptable proof — a sworn attestation — any change to that evidentiary standard must come from legislation, not executive order.
The distinction was subtle but critical:
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Citizenship requirement: Valid, because Congress enacted it.
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Proof requirement: Invalid, because it exceeded what Congress authorized.
The issue was never about the legitimacy of protecting elections; it was about maintaining constitutional balance between the executive and legislative branches.
5. How NVIDS™ Resolves the Overstep
The National Voter ID System (NVIDS™) was designed with these constitutional and legal dynamics in mind.
Rather than altering the standard of proof, NVIDS implements verification within existing law.
It functions as a technological infrastructure, not a new legal requirement.
Each eligible citizen receives a secure National Voter ID Number — a digital credential used solely for election verification.
States retain full control over their registration lists and election administration, while NVIDS provides a shared, encrypted verification network that confirms eligibility without adding paperwork or federal mandates.
Because NVIDS operates under congressional authorization or voluntary state adoption, it respects the constitutional limits that constrained the executive order.
It strengthens integrity without overstepping authority.
6. From Executive Action to Legislative Infrastructure
Both the Trump administration’s 2025 initiative and NVIDS share the same core objective: to ensure that every vote in a federal election is cast by an eligible U.S. citizen.
Where the executive order pursued that goal through direct enforcement, NVIDS achieves it through federated modernization — a cooperative system that unites federal standards, state autonomy, and digital precision.
By building within the statutory framework established by Congress, NVIDS transforms voter identification from a question of executive power into a sustainable national capability.
It fulfills the same vision — one voter, one verified identity, one trusted nation — through constitutional design that can endure.
USA Technology Solutions Systems, LLC
www.usavoterid.com | info@usavoterid.com
(© 2025 Howard W. Williams. All rights reserved.)