Coalition of AGs challenges Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting, including Oregon’s Dan Rayfield
Kelsey Merison
SALEM, Ore. (KTVZ) — Attorney General Dan Rayfield and a coalition of 23 other attorneys general, along with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, have asked a federal court to permanently block an executive order restricting mail-in voting.
The coalition filed a motion for summary judgment today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. They argue the order unlawfully restricts mail-in voting and attempts to limit voter eligibility, which they contend is unconstitutional.
The power to regulate elections belongs primarily to the states and the coalition asserts the President has no constitutional authority to make or alter laws governing federal elections.
The executive order, titled “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections,” is being challenged for being unconstitutional and beyond the authority of the President and other federal officials. The motion for summary judgment seeks to permanently block enforcement of the order’s key provisions, arguing the law is clear enough to be decided without a trial.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Rayfield joined the same coalition in bringing a lawsuit against the administration concerning the executive order.
“The U.S. Postal Service delivers the mail,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “President Trump wants to turn letter carriers into election gatekeepers – and that’s not a role the Postal Service was built for, not a power the federal government has, and not something Oregon will accept. This is really about a years-long campaign to manufacture doubt about elections that Trump didn’t like.”
The coalition’s motion for summary judgment argues the executive order’s attempt to dictate federal voter eligibility lists for each state and to coerce states to deny ballots to voters excluded from those lists, unconstitutionally invades the coalition states’ power over their voter rolls.
The motion further contends that the order’s attempt to charge the states and U.S. Postal Service with compiling mail voter eligibility lists and its prohibition on the U.S. Postal Service transmitting mail ballots from voters not on those lists, are unconstitutional. These actions, the coalition argues, run contrary to states’ and Congress’ authority to regulate elections and Congress’ power to regulate the U.S. Postal Service.
Additionally, the executive order is said to threaten serious injury to the coalition states. This includes harms to states’ sovereign powers to administer their elections, fiscal injuries from being forced to administer elections under new federal procedures, and legal jeopardy to states and their election officials from directives to investigate and prosecute those who issue ballots to individuals purportedly ineligible to vote in a federal election.
Joining Attorney General Rayfield in the filing are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has ordered the Trump Administration to file its response and related motions by Thursday, May 7th, 2026. A hearing on the motions is scheduled for Tuesday, June 2nd, 2026, at 7:00 a.m. PT / 10:00 a.m. ET.