On Tuesday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating that all voters provide proof of U.S. citizenship when aiming to register to vote, a move that could instantly reignite partisan tensions over voting rights and election security.  

Republican state lawmakers have long sought to require such documents for voter registration, but a major hurdle has been a Supreme Court ruling mandating that states accept, at least for federal elections, the generic voter registration form offered by the US Election Assistance Commission, which currently does not require documents proving citizenship. 

CNN reports that the order would now require federal election officials to verify the citizenship status of voters before submitting their votes. This move would pose high hurdles for millions, namely naturalized citizens and voters in states with discriminatory voter ID laws. Proponents of the measure say this is a step toward preventing noncitizen voting; but there is no proof of the rampant fraud conservatives claim. 

“The U.S. Election Assistance Commission is carefully reviewing the President’s Executive Order and determining the next steps in enhancing the integrity of voter registration and state and federal elections,” EAC Chairman Donald Palmer said in a statement. “We also anticipate consulting with state and local election officials.”

Per CNN, this order also instructs the Department of Homeland Security to work with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency to review state voter rolls in an effort to identify foreign nationals on the rolls, and to turn over that list to the state and local officials tasked with managing elections.

Voting rights advocates have pointed out that DHS immigration databases should not be used for vetting voter rolls as they run the risk of identifying naturalized citizens for aggressive deportation purges.

“Trump’s executive order is unlawful. It would prevent eligible Americans from exercising their sacred right to vote,” said Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold (D).  “The Trump administration is weaponizing the federal government and trying to make it harder for voters to fight back at the ballot box.”