Senate Democrats Slam Trump’s Unconstitutional Executive Order Targeting Vote-By-Mail

Senate Democratic leaders, including Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Alex Padilla, and Gary Peters, joined 20 other Senate Democrats in a sharp rebuke of President Trump’s March 31 executive order titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” The order, widely condemned as unconstitutional, aims to undermine vote-by-mail and federal election administration, risking the disenfranchisement of eligible voters across the country.

In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche, the Senators called out the order as a blatant overreach of executive power. They wrote that the Department of Justice should take no steps to enforce this order that violates federal law and threatens fundamental voting rights. The letter also demands full transparency by requesting all legal opinions from the Office of Legal Counsel and any DOJ correspondence related to the order, including communications with the Commerce Department.

The Senators highlighted the hypocrisy of President Trump’s attack on vote-by-mail, noting that he has used mail-in voting himself for over a decade while sowing baseless doubt about the integrity of elections he does not control. They emphasized that the Constitution clearly grants states primary authority over elections, making Trump’s federal interference illegal.

Beyond voter disruption, the letter exposes the further degradation of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division under Trump’s second administration. Since January 2025, the division has lost 75 percent of its attorneys and closed major cases on racial gerrymandering and police misconduct, pivoting instead to prioritize Second Amendment and anti-transgender cases. The DOJ has also dropped thousands of criminal investigations to focus on immigration enforcement, signaling a troubling shift away from protecting civil rights and voting access.

The Senators concluded with an urgent call for the DOJ to reprioritize its mission to protect voting rights and civil liberties. They warned that implementing this executive order would not only disenfranchise voters but also corrupt the DOJ’s foundational purpose.

This pushback comes as Senate Democrats launch a new elections task force to counter threats to democracy from Republicans and foreign adversaries. The task force includes former Attorney General Eric Holder and election law experts, aiming to safeguard free and fair elections in the coming months.

Trump’s executive order would also force the Postal Service, a traditionally nonpartisan agency, into the role of election administrator and regulator—a move Democrats warn is both unconstitutional and dangerous. The order’s requirement for DHS to create voter eligibility lists is another federal power grab that violates state control over elections.

The full letter to Acting Attorney General Blanche is available for review, underscoring the Democrats’ commitment to holding the administration accountable and protecting the right to vote.

This fight is far from over, but Senate Democrats are making it clear: attempts to weaponize the executive branch against voters will not stand.