According to ABC News, a network of pro-Trump attorneys and allies is promoting a 17-page draft executive order that they say could give President Donald Trump sweeping authority over how U.S. elections are run. The draft relies on claims of Chinese interference in the 2020 election—claims that have been repeatedly rejected by U.S. government assessments—and would declare a national emergency to justify federal action ahead of the midterms.
Sources told ABC News that Trump has reviewed versions of the draft, though it’s unclear whether he will issue it. The proposed order would require voter ID, mandate hand-counted ballots, and restrict or ban mail-in voting and electronic voting machines, framing these tools as vulnerabilities to foreign interference.
The effort is being pushed by figures including Florida attorney Peter Ticktin, who says he has communicated with the White House, and it reportedly involves prominent election-denial activists. Democrats and election-law experts argue the proposal conflicts with the Constitution’s allocation of election oversight to states and Congress, signaling immediate court fights if pursued.