The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 3, 2026.
President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has decided to issue an executive order to request that federal elections require the presentation of voter ID in order to cast a ballot.
“Voter I.D. Must Be Part of Every Single Vote. No exceptions!” Trump wrote on a post on Truth Social. “I Will Be Doing An Executive Order To That End!!!”
The president did not give a timeline for his order. The midterm elections will be held on Nov. 3, 2026. States have authority over how to hold their elections as long as they comply with federal prohibitions.
The president also repeated his opposition to the widespread adoption of mail-in ballots and the use of electronic voting systems, although this time he didn’t say they would be the subject of any executive action.
“Also, No Mail-In Voting, Except For Those That Are Very Ill, And The Far Away Military. Use paper ballots only!!!” he said.
Earlier this month, Trump had pledged to issue an executive order ahead of the 2026 midterm elections to end the use of mail-in ballots and return to the use of paper ballots instead of voting machines.
In March, Trump issued an executive order to require documentary proof of U.S. citizenship for registering to vote in federal elections. The order was to enforce that states meet the citizenship requirement for federal elections in requiring government-issued ID in their voter registration forms.
The order also sought to overhaul election rules related to other aspects of election law enforcement such as voting deadlines, electronic voting machine security, and foreign interference in U.S. elections.
The president said the changes were intended to safeguard the vote against what he describes as “fraud, errors, or suspicion.”
Legal groups filed suit, claiming that the order exceeded presidential authority, and a federal judge agreed in part with the plaintiffs, blocking implementation of much of the executive order, while allowing a directive to tighten mail-in ballot deadlines around the country to remain in force.
The Trump administration has appealed the ruling with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, arguing that the enforcement sought in the executive order doesn’t alter existing federal statutes or violate the Constitution.
By Melanie Sun
