Some conservative groups aligned with the MAGA movement have written a draft executive order that they believe would give the president broad control over U.S. elections. Critics say the proposal is unconstitutional and would allow President to take over parts of the country’s election system before the 2026 midterm elections.
The draft is 17 pages long and is titled “Establishing Security, Integrity, and Transparency for United States Elections with Protections Against Foreign Interference.” It was first written in April 2025. In it, the authors argue that the president could declare a national emergency because of what they describe as national security threats linked to the U.S. election system. By declaring such an emergency, they suggest, the president could bypass normal limits and step in to directly oversee or control certain election processes.
The argument builds on claims that have circulated since the 2020 presidential election. Some MAGA supporters have long argued, without proof, that the election was influenced by foreign interference. In this newer version of the claim, China is blamed for alleged interference. These accusations follow earlier unproven claims that mail-in voting was deeply flawed and that voting technology companies such as and rigged their machines to help President win in 2020. Those claims were repeatedly rejected in court. Both companies sued media outlets and Trump allies who promoted the accusations and later secured large financial settlements after the allegations were shown to have no factual basis.
In the new draft order, the authors claim there is “clear and compelling evidence” from court cases and forensic reviews that election system vulnerabilities have not been fixed and may have gotten worse. They argue that people located partly or entirely outside the United States, possibly working with individuals inside the country, have taken advantage of weaknesses in election equipment through unauthorized remote access. They also suggest that some vendors, election officials, and media organizations have wrongly claimed such access is impossible.
The proposal further alleges that there has been manipulation of vote totals, illegal ballots being cast, and voter registrations by people who are not eligible. It describes these alleged problems as an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to national security and U.S. foreign policy. Based on that description, the draft argues that the president would be justified in stepping in and imposing federal control over aspects of the election system until states meet a list of demands.
Among those demands is a requirement that all voters provide proof of identity, U.S. citizenship, and permanent residency before being allowed to vote. Supporters of the draft say such steps are necessary to protect election integrity. Opponents argue that the proposal would override state authority, limit voting access, and give the executive branch unprecedented control over elections.
When reporters asked Trump about the possibility of using such an executive order, he denied knowing about the proposal. He responded by asking who had mentioned it and said he had never heard of the idea and was not considering it.
The debate over the draft highlights ongoing divisions in the country over election security, federal versus state power, and the limits of presidential authority.
