Shapiro Leads 23-State Lawsuit Against Trump’s Unconstitutional Mail Voting Crackdown

In a bold pushback against yet another Trump power grab, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has joined Democratic officials from 23 states in filing a lawsuit challenging the administration’s new executive order on mail voting. The suit, filed in Massachusetts, accuses President Trump of violating the U.S. Constitution by attempting to wrest control of election administration away from the states — where it clearly belongs.

“The U.S. Constitution makes clear that elections are to be run by the states, and here in Pennsylvania, we believe that the administration of elections should be nonpartisan,” Shapiro said.

Trump’s order, signed late Tuesday, demands the U.S. Postal Service refuse to deliver mail ballots unless voters are pre-approved on a state-provided list and mandates unique barcodes on all authorized mail ballots. It also directs the Department of Homeland Security to compile a list of adult citizens in each state 60 days before federal elections — a thinly veiled attempt at federalizing voter rolls and sowing chaos.

This is not Trump’s first unconstitutional foray into state election affairs. Last March, he issued an executive order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration, which courts have largely blocked amid legal challenges. The new lawsuit names not only Trump but also the Department of Justice, Homeland Security, Social Security Administration, and the Postal Service, along with multiple federal officials.

“The President’s latest attempt to interfere with the States’ administration of their elections is as unprecedented as it is unconstitutional,” the suit states. “Neither the Constitution nor any act of Congress confers upon the President the authority to mandate sweeping changes to States’ electoral systems or procedures.”

Other voting rights groups and Democratic party organizations have also filed lawsuits against the order in various federal courts, underscoring the broad resistance to Trump’s authoritarian meddling.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the lawsuits, claiming only Democrats oppose “lawful efforts to secure American elections.” But the reality is that Trump’s baseless claims of mail voting fraud and aggressive federal intervention threaten the very foundation of our democratic process.

In Pennsylvania, Shapiro teamed up with Republican Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt to condemn the order immediately upon its signing, signaling a rare bipartisan defense of election integrity against the Trump administration’s attacks.

This lawsuit is just the latest skirmish in an ongoing battle between the Trump administration and states over election control. The Department of Justice is also suing 30 states for refusing to hand over complete voter rolls, raising serious privacy concerns.

As these legal fights unfold, it is clear the Trump administration is relentlessly pushing to centralize power over elections, undermining state authority and democratic norms. But with leaders like Shapiro and a coalition of states standing firm, the fight to protect free and fair elections is far from over.