The attorneys general of Oregon and Washington have initiated a legal battle against an executive order from President Trump, which they claim undermines voting rights and election integrity. The lawsuit was filed in response to the president's order, which is seen as an unconstitutional overreach, making it more difficult for citizens to vote and increasing the administrative burden on states.
Oregon's Attorney General, Rayfield, criticized the executive order, stating, “President Trump’s executive order is nothing more than a blatant attempt to rig the system and suppress votes.” He emphasized that the order is an attack on the constitutional right of states to manage their own elections without federal interference.
Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read reinforced this stance, asserting, “Oregon citizens have the right to hold their politicians accountable at the ballot box. It is our responsibility as a state to defend that right and run secure, fair elections.” Read described the executive order as illegal and vowed that it would not stand.
The lawsuit challenges the order's proof of citizenship requirements, which could cause confusion and disenfranchise voters. It argues that the order violates the Elections Clause of the U.S. Constitution as well as key provisions of the National Voter Registration Act and the Help America Vote Act.
The lawsuit follows President Trump's recurring allegations of election fraud, claims that have been widely debunked. Previous analyses, such as an Associated Press review, found only 475 potentially fraudulent votes in the states that switched to Biden in the 2020 election, where his margin of victory was over 300,000 votes.
Oregon and Washington, both proponents of vote-by-mail, stand in opposition to the order's requirement that all mail-in ballots must arrive by Election Day. This conflicts with the practices of 18 states, including these two, which accept ballots postmarked by Election Day.
Overall, the legal action by Oregon and Washington aims to prevent the implementation of measures they deem unconstitutional and to safeguard the election process from federal overreach.