Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit against the Trump Administration in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The lawsuit targets what the coalition describes as "unconstitutional and antidemocratic" efforts by the Trump Administration to impose strict election restrictions across the United States. The officials argue that these measures attempt to disenfranchise voters, including those in Massachusetts.
The legal challenge focuses on President Trump's Executive Order No. 14248, which includes burdensome proof of citizenship requirements for voter registration. The order is said to disrupt state laws that facilitate the voting process by instituting common-sense procedures for counting ballots. According to the lawsuit, the President lacks the authority to alter state or federal election laws through an Executive Order, as such power is reserved for the states and Congress.
AG Campbell stated, "Elections should be free, fair, and accessible, as Secretary Galvin and local officials ensure here in Massachusetts. The Trump Administration’s attempt to disqualify eligible voters and throw out lawfully cast ballots is plainly unconstitutional. We will not stand by while the President tries to impose unlawful barriers to the ballot box."
Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth William Galvin supports this legal challenge, emphasizing that the Executive Order aims to impede the state's Vote by Mail program and place military service voters at a disadvantage by demanding additional proof of eligibility.
Key provisions challenged in the lawsuit include:
- Forcing the independent Election Assistance Commission to impose new voter registration obstacles.
- Banning states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.
- Withholding federal funding from states that do not comply with the order's provisions.
- Mandating documentary proofs from military and overseas voters to participate in state elections.
The attorneys general involved claim that the provisions will cause imminent harm to their states. They request that the court block these measures and declare them void. This legal action, led by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford, also includes representatives from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.