Garrison Davis

Now, Trump's new executive order on citizenship verification for elections also states, quote, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish procedures to allow individuals to access their individual records as well as to update or correct them in advance of elections.

Unquote.

Unclear how this is going to work, if it even is going to work.

It's still not clear that this executive order will actually be implemented as written because of potential constitutional violations.

But, you know, this would be in an attempt to address some of the pretty, pretty big issues that we're saying about someone may be a citizen and not show up as a citizen in these databases for a number of reasons, whether that's because they were naturalized or even in some cases were granted citizenship through one of their parents themselves.

after being in the sole legal custody of that parent who is a US citizen before this individual is 18.

This is called the Childhood Citizenship Act of 2000, which makes a permanent resident become a citizen if they're living with a US citizen parent.

Yeah.

And things like that, citizenship kind of rolls over from permanent residency without ever actually having to become naturalized.

And getting that added to any kind of database doesn't really happen by itself.

You have to then apply for proof of citizenship, like a passport or a certificate.

So there's all these sorts of weird instances where someone is a citizen, but it may not show up in these sorts of records, including social security records.

Yeah.

I should just clarify that, like, not all tribal members are necessarily U.S.

citizens, but tribal membership documents can sometimes be used, like Garrison was saying, right, as a way to prove United States citizenship.

It's just more than 100 years now since the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, right?

There may still be people alive today who were made citizens by that act, but would not have any particular documentation that's personal to them to show that.

The executive order also writes that the attorney general will investigate and prosecute state officials, local officials, individuals, and public or private entities who issue federal ballots to individuals not eligible to vote or aid and abet the printing, production, shipment, or distribution of ballots to those ineligible to vote.

That's what we call a chilling effect.

The second half of the order takes on vote by mail by instructing the postmaster general to initiate a proposed rulemaking that requires states submit lists of voters who will be provided mail-in or absentee ballots at least 60 days before an election and that the USPS shall not transmit any ballots for anyone not on this state citizenship list.