Elections, Executive Orders, and Lawsuits – Oh My!
On March 31, President Trump signed an executive order targeting mail-in voting procedures. To be clear: the President does not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally overhaul each state’s mail-in voting process. This is simply another attempt in a continued effort to undermine our elections, sow distrust in our processes, and prevent people from voting.
About a year ago, President Trump similarly signed an executive order that would require documentary proof of citizenship — like a passport — in order to register to vote in federal elections, and it was subsequently blocked by the courts.
Other documentary proof of citizenship policies, like the Save America Act, have been up for debate and votes recently in both Congress and the U.S. Senate. The reality is that legislation like this would create unnecessary red tape for voters and prevent people from casting their ballots. These proposed policies seek to solve problems that don’t exist.
The executive order targeting mail-in voting is also a “solution” in search of a problem. Voting by mail is a secure way to vote, and millions of voters utilize mail-in voting to cast their ballots and make their voices heard. In Michigan, twenty-five percent of registered voters are on the permanent mail ballot list. The President himself even casts his ballot by mail.
The good news is that attorneys general (AG) across the country, including Michigan’s AG Dana Nessel, have swiftly taken action. Last week, a coalition of attorneys general filed a lawsuit to challenge the Trump Administration’s executive order targeting mail-in voting.
Joining AG Nessel in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the governor of Pennsylvania.
Michiganders have repeatedly voted to modernize our elections and expand access to the ballot box, including through no-reason absentee voting. Our mail-in voting procedures are thorough, secure, and accurate. This attempt to restrict mail-in voting is a direct attack on our voting system and an attempt to disenfranchise eligible voters.
In the United States, the states administer our elections, and the voters pick our leaders — not the other way around.
You can take action by checking your voter registration, registering to vote, making your plan to vote, and signing up to be a poll worker.
—
Sommer Foster, executive director
Michigan Voices
Micheal Davis, Jr., executive director
Promote the Vote Fund
