Advancement Project Prepares for Trump’s Attacks on Voters and Elections
January 20, 2025
Washington, DC – Ahead of the inauguration of President Trump on January 20, Advancement Project has released this statement from executive director Judith Browne Dianis regarding likely upcoming changes to voting rights policies and practices:
“President Trump has made it known that he has no respect for democracy and wants to uphold white supremacy at any cost. His intentions are clear – he plans to abuse his power to attack our election system, disenfranchise and criminalize voters, and intimidate election officials. The danger his administration represents cannot be understated.
Under the incoming Trump administration, we could see the establishment of sham commissions or sign executive actions to fuel false voter fraud narratives targeting voters of color. Trump’s baseless claims around voter fraud by non-citizens have led to aggressive voter purges across the country and will undoubtedly continue to do so in the future.
We expect that not only will he empower his allies at the state and local level to engage in voter purges, but his administration is also likely to force aggressive voter purges through the Department of Justice – suing counties and states he deems insufficiently cooperative under Section 6 of the National Voter Registration Act. Trump could also use claims of voter fraud to investigate and prosecute voters or even election officials who were just doing their jobs.
The Trump administration intends to target immigrant communities in any way possible. We can expect that Congress will pass the SAVE Act during the next Trump administration. This would require every U.S. citizen to provide documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, even though more than 21 million people don’t have proof of citizenship readily available. Less than half of American adults have a valid passport, and millions of natural-born citizens lack access to a paper copy of their birth certificate. The SAVE act would also enable voter purges based on outdated data, which would impact naturalized citizens who are eligible to vote.
The incoming administration may also pursue changes to the census. During President Trump’s first term, his administration directed the Census Bureau to include a question on the 2020 census form asking all respondents whether or not they were U.S. citizens. While the Supreme Court blocked this initial attempt, the second Trump administration could pursue making this change for the 2030 census. Doing so would result in a skewed census and less funding and resources allocated to communities of color. It would also send an unprecedented message to immigrant communities, making it clear that they are not welcome here.
These attacks on our voters and elections will not be left unchallenged. Advancement Project and our allies are ready to sue to protect our democracy and voters of color. Our communities must be heard at the ballot box to ensure free and safe elections. We are ready to fight back against these reckless and relentless attacks.”
BACKGROUND
Some voters are more likely than others to be disenfranchised under the SAVE Act. Older Americans are more likely to lack proof of citizenship. Two-thirds of Black Americans do not have a valid U.S. passport. Poor people are less likely than those with higher income to have a passport. Voters who change their names, including millions of married women, often lack proof of citizenship reflecting their current names.
# # #
Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice.Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.
