Voting Rights Groups Sue Trump Over Unconstitutional Mail-In Ballot Executive Order

A coalition of voting rights organizations took Trump to court today over his latest attempt to restrict mail-in voting and undermine state control of elections.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, challenges Trump's March 31 executive order on mail-in ballots as an unconstitutional power grab that violates the basic structure of American democracy. The Constitution explicitly grants only Congress and the states the authority to set election rules -- not the president.

The executive order attempts to transform the U.S. Postal Service from a neutral mail carrier into a gatekeeper that decides who gets to vote by mail. It also directs the Department of Homeland Security to create and distribute voter eligibility lists to states, despite federal databases being notoriously out-of-date and unreliable.

Who's Fighting Back

The plaintiffs include the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the national League of Women Voters, Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), U.S. Vote Foundation, OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

They're represented by a powerhouse legal team: the ACLU, ACLU of Massachusetts, Brennan Center for Justice, Legal Defense Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

The Stakes

If implemented, the order would disenfranchise eligible voters across the country -- particularly voters with disabilities, U.S. citizens living abroad, and military members and their families who rely on mail-in voting.

"This executive order is an illegal and dangerous attempt by the Trump administration to eliminate accessible voting options and subvert our democracy by seizing control of election administration from the states and Congress," the plaintiffs and their counsel said in a joint statement.

The groups argue the order is part of Trump's broader strategy to undermine elections and override the will of voters. They point out that Trump tried a similar maneuver with a different executive order last year -- and was promptly shut down by multiple courts.

Creating Chaos

Beyond the constitutional violations, the order would create operational chaos. It would upend countless state laws and procedures governing mail-in voting that have been developed and refined over years.

Election officials would face impossible contradictions between state law and federal directives. Voters who have successfully used mail-in ballots for years would suddenly find their access restricted or eliminated.

"Far from improving elections, this executive order would create chaos for election officials, erode public confidence in our elections, and block Americans from exercising their most fundamental right and responsibility as citizens -- voting," the coalition said.

The Legal Argument

The lawsuit rests on straightforward constitutional grounds. Article I, Section 4 of the Constitution states: "The Times, Places and Manner of holding Elections for Senators and Representatives, shall be prescribed in each State by the Legislature thereof; but the Congress may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations."

Notice what's missing? Any mention of the president having authority over election administration.

The executive order attempts to bypass both state legislatures and Congress to impose Trump's preferred voting restrictions. That's not how the Constitution works -- and courts have already told this administration as much.

Why This Matters Now

Mail-in voting has become a critical access point for millions of Americans. During the pandemic, it allowed people to vote safely. For military families stationed overseas, it's often the only practical way to participate in democracy. For voters with disabilities or mobility issues, it removes barriers to the ballot box.

Restricting mail-in voting doesn't make elections more secure -- extensive research has shown mail-in ballot fraud is vanishingly rare. What it does is make voting harder, particularly for people who already face obstacles to casting a ballot.

"By taking the administration to court, we are standing up for the rule of law and the promise of our democracy," the coalition said.

The lawsuit is available at https://assets.aclu.org/live/uploads/2026/04/LWV-v-Trump.pdf.

This isn't the first time Trump has tried to restrict voting access through executive fiat, and courts have consistently rejected these attempts. The question now is whether this administration will finally accept that the president doesn't get to rewrite election law by decree -- or whether voting rights groups will have to keep dragging them back to court every time they try.