Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in seeking a preliminary injunction to prevent the Trump Administration from implementing an Executive Order that aims to impose extensive voting restrictions nationwide. The action is part of a lawsuit filed on April 3, challenging the legality of the Executive Order.
Ellison stated, "If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a thousand times: elections in Minnesota are already fair and secure." He expressed concern that complying with the order would harm Minnesota's election system and emphasized his commitment to protecting voters' rights. "I will not let anyone abuse their office to make it harder for Minnesotans to register to vote and participate in our democracy," he added.
The Executive Order seeks to require state election officials to enforce documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, override state election laws, and potentially cut federal funding if states do not comply. The lawsuit argues that regulating elections is the responsibility of states and Congress, not the President.
Despite the ongoing legal challenge, the Trump Administration has begun efforts to implement the order. In their motion for a preliminary injunction, Ellison and his counterparts contend they are likely to succeed in proving that the order breaches constitutional separation of powers, unlawfully commandeers state resources, contravenes existing voting acts, and imposes unauthorized conditions on federally allocated funds. They highlight significant interests at stake for their states and warn of irreparable harm without judicial intervention.
Joining Ellison in filing this motion are attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island Vermont; Wisconsin.
For more information about Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's actions or services provided by his office:
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