Trump Signs Order Changing Election Rules: What It Means For NJ

NEW JERSEY— President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed a sweeping executive order overhauling U.S. elections, including requiring proof of citizenship to register and vote in federal elections. The move is almost certain to be challenged because the Constitution gives states broad authority over elections.

In New Jersey, people are already required to be a U.S. citizen to register to vote (see more requirements below).

Trump’s order, which also requires that all ballots be received by Election Day, says the nation has “failed to enforce basic and necessary election protections.” It calls on states to work with federal agencies to share voter lists and prosecute election crimes, and threatens to pull federal funding from states where election officials don’t comply. Read the full order here.

“There are other steps that we will be taking in the next coming weeks, and we think we will be able to end up getting fair elections,” Trump said after signing the order.

The move saw swift criticism from voting rights advocates, including the Brennan Center for Justice.

“This executive order would block tens of millions of American citizens from voting,” the group said. “Presidents have no authority to do this.”

Trump has often claimed elections are being rigged, even before the results are known, and has waged battles against certain voting methods since he lost the 2020 election to Democrat Joe Biden. He has focused particularly on mail voting, arguing without evidence that it’s insecure and invites fraud even as he has shifted his position on the issue given its popularity with voters, including Republicans.

VOTING IN NEW JERSEY

According to the New Jersey Division of Elections, in addition to being a U.S. citizen, people who want to register to vote in a state or federal election must be:

• At least 17-years-old (applicants can't vote until they have reached the age of 18)
• A resident of the county for 30 days before the election
• A person not serving a sentence of incarceration as the result of a conviction of any indictable offense under the laws of this or another state or of the United States

New Jersey does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. However, if a voter does not provide valid identification at the time of registration, they must show identification at the polling place.

New Jersey's 2025 primary election will take place on June 10. It will include a race to succeed Gov. Phil Murphy, who is term-limited and can't run again. A large field of candidates are running for the Democratic and Republican nominations.

Learn more about voting in New Jersey here.

CONSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES

Swift constitutional challenges are expected to Trump's recent presidential order.

Article I of the nation’s founding charter gives states, not the federal government, authority over the “times, places and manner” of how elections are run.

A new state law in New Hampshire requiring proof of U.S. citizenship to register and vote recently prevented at least two people from having their say in town and school elections. Their experiences, recounted by town clerks, could prove instructive for the rest of the country as the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act advances in Congress and more than a dozen states consider similar legislation.

Some voting groups worry that women who have married and changed their names will encounter difficulty registering to vote because their birth certificates have their maiden names, an issue that arose in at least one New Jersey town last year. See Related: NJ Councilman, Town Clerk Continue Ballot Standoff

There are nearly two dozen states considering proof of citizenship voting laws, according to Voting Rights Lab.

DEMOCRAT VS. REPUBLICAN IN NEW JERSEY

Democrats still heavily outweigh Republicans in New Jersey, which has traditionally skewed blue on Election Day.

According to data from the New Jersey Division of Elections, there are 2,535,498 registered Democrats in New Jersey and 1,652,061 Republicans as of Feb. 1. The state also has 2,509,165 unaffiliated voters and 78,246 voters registered with a third-party.

The Republican Party has been making steady gains over the past year, however – sharply outpacing Democrats when it comes to percentages.

Republicans gained 102,333 voters between February 2024 and February 2025: a 6.6 percent increase. Meanwhile, Democrats gained 38,980 voters over the same time period: a 1.56 percent increase.

Although nearly 6 percent more New Jersey voters cast presidential ballots for Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, Donald Trump still tallied more than 1.96 million votes in the Garden State. Across the state, Republicans flipped five New Jersey counties from blue to red last year.

• See Related: NJ Republicans Hope To Boost Voter Registration Among Gun Owners

The Associated Press contributed reporting

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