Overview
- The executive order, which Trump signed Tuesday, directs Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration to compile verified voter lists for each state and tells the Postal Service to mail ballots only to those names using trackable envelopes.
- The Democratic National Committee filed a 64-page lawsuit Wednesday arguing the president has no power to impose sweeping changes to how Americans vote.
- Top election officials in Oregon and Arizona announced their own lawsuits after the signing, saying the plan would upend systems that rely heavily on mail ballots.
- Critics cite the Constitution’s Elections Clause, which gives states and Congress authority over federal election rules, and note the Postal Service is run by an independent board that limits White House control.
- Tying ballot delivery to new federal lists could keep eligible voters from receiving ballots or delay them, and courts that blocked similar orders last year may again halt implementation before the November midterms.