By Nate Raymond
BOSTON — Democratic state attorneys general initiated legal action on Thursday against U.S. President Donald Trump’s executive directive mandating proof of citizenship for voters and prohibiting states from tallying absentee votes post-Election Day.
The legal action, initiated in the federal court of Boston, came after two separate lawsuits were brought forth challenging Trump’s directive. The states argued that Trump was improperly attempting to “alter electoral legislation through executive decree.”
In the most recent development, California and Nevada spearheaded a group of 19 states contending that the president has no inherent authority to alter states' election processes, even though Congress retains the constitutional right to override state laws concerning federal elections.
The Constitution and Congress do not grant the president authority for the proposed voting limitations," stated California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat. "We won’t be intimidated by his actions.
After years of casting doubt on the legitimacy of the U.S. electoral process and incorrectly asserting that he lost the 2020 election to Democratic ex-President Joe Biden because of extensive voter fraud, Trump issued the Executive Order on March 25.
The White House has not yet replied to an emailed request for comments.
When unveiling the executive order, Trump stated it was necessary to "get our elections in order." He and his GOP supporters have falsely claimed that there is extensive voter fraud involving noncitizens, an offense that is both rare and against the law.
His directive is currently facing legal challenges from the Democratic National Committee along with Senators Chuck Schumer and Representatives Hakeem Jeffries, who are the leading Democrats in their respective chambers of Congress.
In last Thursday's legal action, the attorneys general contended that Trump lacks the sole power to impose a stringent new rule mandating proof of citizenship from voters.
They mentioned that this provision not only goes against the Constitution but also conflicts with the National Voting Rights Act. This legislation simply mandates that individuals must swear under penalty of perjury to confirm their citizenship status during voter registration, they explained.
The attorneys general stated that this directive also infringes upon states' constitutional rights concerning elections by potentially depriving non-compliant entities of federal funds and subjecting them to inquiries from the Department of Justice.
Trump's order effectively bars states from counting mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day, even if they are postmarked on time, and upends procedures intended to increase voter participation, the states said.
"The president’s efforts to manipulate our elections, bully voters, and restrict Americans' right to vote are unconstitutional, undemocratic, and honestly, un-American," stated New York Attorney General Letitia James, who is a Democrat.
(Nate Raymond reported from Boston and Jack Queen contributed from New York; edited by Alexia Garamfalvi and Cynthia Osterman)