Trump’s new role for USPS in mail balloting is unconstitutional, three lawsuits say
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- Democrats have filed three lawsuits challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order directing the US Postal Service to decide who receives mail ballots, arguing it violates the Constitution and state authority over elections.
- The lawsuits claim the order imposes new hurdles to voting by mail, including requiring states to submit voter lists 60 days before elections, which could disenfranchise voters who move or naturalize close to election day.
- Trump’s order also calls for federal agencies to compile a “citizen” list from internal databases, raising privacy concerns and fears of creating a “1984”-style personal dossier on voters, potentially violating the Privacy Act.
- The challengers contend the order unlawfully shifts election administration from states to the federal government, breaches Postal Service laws, the Voting Rights Act, and risks disenfranchisement due to flawed federal databases.
- White House officials defend the order as a lawful effort to secure elections and ensure only eligible citizens vote, while Democrats warn it grants the Postal Service undue authority to determine mail ballot eligibility.
