Democrats have initiated legal action to block President Donald Trump’s recent executive order aimed at restricting mail voting. The lawsuit asserts that the U.S. Constitution grants the power to determine mail-in voting eligibility to states and Congress, not the president.

Executive Order Details

President Trump announced on Tuesday that his administration would compile lists of eligible voters in each state. The U.S. Postal Service would then be directed to mail ballots only to those individuals meeting the administration’s criteria. Critics have raised concerns about the feasibility of reviewing voter rolls before ballots are distributed, with some states beginning mail-in voting as early as September.

Plaintiffs in the Lawsuit

The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of Democratic leaders and organizations, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic National Committee, and various campaign organizations. President Trump and top administration officials are named as defendants in the case.

Democratic Concerns

Democrats argue that President Trump is attempting to undermine the foundations of American democracy. “President Trump has tried again and again to rewrite election rules for his own perceived partisan advantage,” the lawsuit states. It further emphasizes that the Constitution’s framers intentionally distributed control over elections to states and Congress to prevent the concentration of power.

History of Mail Voting and Recent Challenges

Mail voting has been a part of the American electoral system for over a century and experienced increasing popularity across both Democratic and Republican states until 2020. Following the 2020 election, President Trump began to target mail voting, making unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud.

Shift in Partisan Support

These claims led to a decline in the popularity of mail voting among Republicans and an increase among Democrats, potentially motivating President Trump to further restrict the practice before upcoming midterm elections. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly attempted to interfere in state-run elections, often citing disproven allegations of fraud related to the 2020 presidential election.