Columbia, South Carolina – A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has declined to stop an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that seeks to tighten federal election safeguards, a development South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is calling a major victory for election integrity.
South Carolina entered the legal dispute in defense of the order, according to Wilson’s office, arguing that states should be able to use federal resources to help protect the administration of elections. The D.C. District Court rejected a request to halt the order while the case proceeds.
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Trump signed Executive Order No. 14399, “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” on March 31, 2026. The order is designed to assist states with election oversight by directing federal action in two central areas: voter eligibility information and mail-in ballot procedures.
Under the order, federal agencies are instructed to compile and provide state election officials with a “State Citizenship List.”
The list is intended to identify individuals confirmed as United States citizens who will be over the age of 18 at the time of an upcoming federal election and who maintain residence in the relevant state.
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The order also directs the U.S. Postal Service to develop rules concerning mail-in and absentee ballots, placing additional focus on the handling of ballots sent through the mail during federal elections.
Wilson praised the court’s decision and South Carolina’s involvement in defending the measure.
“I was proud to stand with President Trump in securing our elections,” Attorney General Wilson stated.
“The strength of our republic is dependent on the confidence that American citizens have in secure and fair elections.”
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The dispute comes as attention is increasingly turning toward the 2026 midterm elections, when voters across South Carolina and the country will again cast ballots in federal contests. Wilson said maintaining public confidence in that process remains a central priority of his office.
“As we are in the midst of midterm elections, it is vital that South Carolinians trust the election process,” Attorney General Wilson said.
“As Attorney General, I have fought alongside President Trump every step of the way to secure the voting booth.”
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The ruling does not end the broader legal challenge to the executive order, but it allows the contested provisions to remain in place at this stage of the case. For South Carolina officials supporting the order, the decision represents an important step in defending measures they say are intended to strengthen public trust in elections.
