Attorney General Neronha, coalition sue Trump Administration over unlawful executive order attempting to exert federal control over elections

Attorney General Neronha, coalition sue Trump Administration over unlawful executive order attempting to exert federal control over elections

Published on Friday, April 03, 2026

Attorney General Peter F. Neronha today joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and one governor in announcing a lawsuit against President Trump in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, challenging his unlawful Executive Order that attempts to interfere with states' constitutional authority to administer elections by restricting voter eligibility and mail voting to lists of voters pre-authorized by the federal government. The lawsuit will be filed in the District of Massachusetts later today.

As alleged in the complaint, the Executive Order would purportedly require states to act contrary to their own voter roll procedures, vote-by-mail systems, and voter registration laws.

"With the stroke of a pen, this President is attempting to undermine elections and sidestep the deeply rooted authority of states to administer elections," said Attorney General Neronha. "This President cannot be permitted to bypass the Constitution by threatening officials and withholding congressionally approved funding, as we have proved in court time and time again. With upcoming elections deciding our next leaders, from city council to Congress, we will not jeopardize the integrity of our democratic process to appease the individual at the helm of the executive branch. This is a direct attack on the central pillar of our democracy, and we will not let this Administration restrict Rhode Islanders' right to vote."

On March 31, President Trump signed an Executive Order attempting to establish a national list of eligible voters and directing the U.S. Postal Service, an independent federal agency, to transmit mail ballots only to those on the list. In the Order, the President threatens states and elections officials with criminal prosecution and the loss of federal funding if they do not comply with his demands.

State and federal law entitle all eligible voters to cast ballots and have their votes counted in state and federal elections. The states filing this lawsuit, including Rhode Island, permit registered voters to cast their ballots by mail if they meet their state's requirements for doing so. Voters of all parties, in all states, and of every demographic utilize mail-in voting - including the President himself.

In their lawsuit, the coalition argues that the U.S. Constitution gives states the primary authority to administer elections. Moreover, the President cannot unilaterally change federal election procedures, particularly without an act of Congress permitting him to do so.

The administration of elections is highly complex and requires substantial planning and preparation. The attorneys general argue that the President's Executive Order would require states to upend their existing election administration procedures for upcoming elections and conduct statewide voter education at a dangerously quick pace - potentially within weeks of primary elections and mere months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election. Such drastic and rapid changes will undoubtedly create confusion, chaos, and distrust in state election systems, all while threatening to disenfranchise eligible voters.

The complaint further alleges that the President's Executive Order violates the separation of powers and unlawfully interferes with states' mail voting programs. The coalition asks the court to declare the challenged provisions of the Executive Order unconstitutional and void, and enjoin the federal government from implementing or enforcing the Executive Order.

Joining Attorney General Neronha in filing this lawsuit are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Colombia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as the Governor of Pennsylvania.

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