Illinois Attorney General Vows Legal Action

President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to regulate mail-in voting is facing immediate opposition in Illinois. The state’s attorney general has labeled the order “blatantly unconstitutional” and pledged to fight it in court.

Executive Order Details and Justification

The executive order aims to establish a list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state. It also seeks to prevent the postal service from delivering ballots to voters not included on this approved list. President Trump justified the order by repeating unsubstantiated claims of widespread voter fraud.

Concerns from Voting Rights Organizations

Voting rights organizations argue the president’s order addresses a non-existent problem. Kathy Cortez, with the League of Women Voters of Illinois, stated, “There is no demonstrated fraud activity of any significance that would cause them to do something like this. And so, it's just more false information and an unnecessary action.”

Previous Attempts and Expected Outcome

Legal experts point to past attempts to regulate elections through executive order. Kevin Fee, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois, explained, “There have been three executive orders at least that have…tried to regulate elections. They have all been blocked by courts. We expect this one will be, as well.”

White House Response

A White House spokeswoman defended the order, stating the President “will do everything in his power to defend the safety and security of American elections and to ensure that only American citizens are voting in them.”

Hypocrisy and Voter Disenfranchisement

Critics highlight the irony of the President’s actions, noting he recently used mail-in voting himself in a Florida special election. Fee emphasized, “The American people should be entitled to the same mail-in balloting that the president himself has availed himself off.” There are concerns the order could lead to voter disenfranchisement.

State Authority Over Elections

Legal experts assert the President lacks constitutional authority over elections. Cortez explained, “It’s the state’s role to determine who should vote, the manner of voting, to make sure that there’s not double counting, which in Illinois they do a very good job of.”