Pro-Trump attorneys are urging Donald Trump to issue an emergency executive order that would overhaul U.S. election procedures nationwide ahead of the midterms.
Multiple sources say a 17-page draft order is being circulated among Trump allies that would declare a national emergency based on alleged Chinese interference in the 2020 election, claims that U.S. intelligence agencies have found no evidence to support. The proposal argues that such a declaration would allow the president to implement sweeping federal election changes.
The draft would mandate voter ID, require hand-counted paper ballots, and eliminate most mail-in voting. Supporters pushing the measure claim the language could be incorporated into an official executive order soon, though it remains unclear whether Trump plans to sign it.
Florida attorney Peter Ticktin, who confirmed he has been in contact with the White House regarding the draft, emphasized the urgency. At this point, it’s got to be ASAP, because we got primaries,” Ticktin said.
Ticktin argued that voting machines pose risks and pointed to manual counting as critical. “The most important provision, if you ask me, is the hand counting,” he said. “Get rid of the machines. That’s what we need to do right away.”
While acknowledging constitutional constraints, Ticktin maintained that emergency powers could justify federal action. “The Constitution basically gives the power to the state legislators, not the governors, not any judges, not anything in the federal government, but just the state legislatures, the power to determine how that state is going to conduct its elections. So the President doesn’t have any power to change that … But we really do have an election emergency right now.”
Trump recently echoed similar sentiments online, writing, “The Democrats refuse to vote for Voter I.D., or Citizenship. The reason is very simple — They want to continue to cheat in Elections. This was not what our Founders desired.”
He added, “There will be Voter I.D. for the Midterm Elections, whether approved by Congress or not!”
A White House official said, “Any speculation about policies the President may or may not announce is just that — speculation.”
