Chuck Darwin<p>Trump’s order also toys with innovative new abuses of power. </p><p>It directs the nonpartisan, independent Election Assistance Commission <br>to tighten ID measures <br>— a directive far beyond the scope of presidential authority. </p><p>But precedent, and the rule of law, have not often dissuaded the Trump administration.</p><p>🆘Ominous language in the order directs states to provide voter roll information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). </p><p>(The text also goes out of its way to praise the rather dystopian biometric voter ID measures in use in India.) </p><p>Later, the executive order stipulates that state voter lists must be made available for<br> 👉review by the DHS and “the DOGE Administrator” <br>— this presumably referring to private citizen and public embarrassment Elon Musk.</p><p>In other words, the infamously intrusive DHS, <br>now with the infamously disruptive DOGE, <br>will be given some sort of authority over state voter rolls, <br>many of which are already subjected to baseless and illegal purges. </p><p>We can only imagine what sort of further mangling the flunkies of DOGE might have in mind. </p><p>After all, we’ve seen what kind of technical “upgrades” and other impending disasters they intend to carry out at the Social Security Administration (SSA). </p><p>(In fact, the executive order even contains a roundabout means of facilitating DOGE and Trump’s access to the SSA, <br>dictating that the SSA commissioner must provide SSA data for voting eligibility determinations. <br>This may be intended to circumvent legal barriers to DOGE intervention.)</p><p>Speaking of <a href="https://c.im/tags/security" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>security</span></a> <a href="https://c.im/tags/threats" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>threats</span></a>, <br>the Trump administration has already hampered the "Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency" ( <a href="https://c.im/tags/CISA" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>CISA</span></a> ), <br>🆘placing its 17-member election security team on administrative leave <br>and “under review.” </p><p>CISA is tasked with addressing election threats, <br>from cyberattacks to violence against poll workers. </p><p>Here, it seems likely that Trump is pursuing another petty <a href="https://c.im/tags/vendetta" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>vendetta</span></a>. </p><p>The president is evidently a bit bitter about CISA’s efforts to contradict his misinformation about COVID and the 2020 election, <br>as comments from DHS chief Kristi Noem <br>(who claimed the agency has ventured “far off mission”) <br>have hinted.</p><p>Yet another blow to electoral integrity arrived with the 🆘defunding of the Center for Internet Security <br>and the subsequent 🆘closure of its subsidiary, the "Election Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center"<br> ( EI-ISAC ). </p><p>EI-ISAC, <br>alongside the "Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center", <br>served as a technical support and advisory arm on internet security. </p><p>Shuttering it may now leave open possible avenues for cyberattacks, <br>foreign interference, and other uncertain threats, according to Politico.</p><p>Unfortunately, Trump’s recent executive order contains even more diktats: </p><p>💥requiring the reporting of foreign nationals to the DHS, </p><p>💥unsourced claims of illicit foreign contributions to direct-democracy ballot initiatives <br>(which the right generally does not like), </p><p>💥and additional stringent demands to serve up voter information to unaccountable agencies, <br>for purposes unknown.</p><p>🔥The most chilling section, though, might be the one titled “Prosecuting Election Crimes.” </p><p>It defines as a <a href="https://c.im/tags/criminal" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#<span>criminal</span></a> anyone who <br>“registered or voted despite being ineligible,” <br>“committed election fraud,” <br>“provided false information [on] forms,” <br>“threatened voters or election officials,” <br>or “engaged in unlawful conduct to interfere in the election process.” </p><p>Worth noting that some of these definitions are enormously subjective. </p><p>If it comes to prosecuting activists or political opponents <br>— which has become an acute possibility <br>— the listed violations will surely provide for some generously broad legal interpretations.</p><p>Lastly, the Trump administration appears keen to ensure its threats do not ring hollow. <br>❌The order promises to penalize recalcitrant states by conditioning their funding on obedience. </p><p>The administration reserves itself the right to <br>“cease providing Federal funds to States that do not comply[.]” </p><p>We’ve already been treated to the ugly sight of Trump withholding funds as a cudgel. </p><p>Perhaps he’s emboldened by his success in goading elite universities to kiss the ring, <br>some so eager to grovel and demonstrate fealty to escape his wrath that they folded preemptively in fear <br>— or just complicity. </p><p>Voting rights advocates are hoping that at least some in the judiciary will not capitulate so easily.</p><p><a href="https://truthout.org/articles/trump-assumes-unheard-of-powers-in-ordering-federal-overhaul-of-elections/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank"><span class="invisible">https://</span><span class="ellipsis">truthout.org/articles/trump-as</span><span class="invisible">sumes-unheard-of-powers-in-ordering-federal-overhaul-of-elections/</span></a></p>