Pennsylvania election officials and experts said Wednesday that it’s highly unlikely a sweeping executive order from President Donald Trump seeking to require proof of citizenship for voters and altering rules for administering elections will take full effect.
And at least one Philadelphia area county said it is consulting attorneys about a possible legal challenge.
After spending years making false claims about election fraud and rampant non-citizen voting, Trump issued an executive order Tuesday imposing new proof of citizenship requirements for voters, directing the federal Election Assistance Commission to decertify certain voting machines and withholding federal funds from states that fail to comply and provide certain information to federal agencies.
Within hours of the news, voting rights advocates vowed to sue, arguing the president had no authority to unilaterally alter state and local voting laws.
The Pennsylvania Department of State echoed that sentiment in a statement Wednesday while noting the agency was still reviewing the order. “The Shapiro Administration is committed to ensuring appropriate federal laws regarding election administration are followed but a president cannot overrule established federal legislation and our bipartisan state election laws via executive order,” the statement said.
As state and local officials continued reviewing the order Wednesday, Neil Makhija, the chair of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners, said he was in touch...
Senior Reporter FCA penalties total $1.3 billion, $360 million in damages Janssen to appeal False Claims Act decision, spokesperson says Janssen Products LP must pay over $1.6 billion in a False...