On Thursday, New Jersey became part of a coalition of states filing a legal challenge against the president. Donald Trump ‘s comprehensive presidential directive regarding balloting procedures Charging it is an unlawful effort to take control of elections.
The previous week, Trump signed an directive aimed at restructuring elections throughout the U.S., which includes mandating documentary evidence of citizenship and stipulating that absentee votes must be received by Election Day to be valid.
A lawsuit filed by 19 state attorneys general alleges that Trump does not have the power to establish voting regulations for states without approval from Congress.
He's threatening to cut off election funds, he's threatening to halt homeland security money, and he's even threatening to withdraw all law enforcement financing," stated New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin. "These are severe penalties imposed on states merely exercising their constitutional rights.
Trump’s new executive order would require proof of citizenship, including for military voters. It would also largely do away with mail-in ballots received after election day — which Trump has often blamed for his election loss to former President Joe Biden.
"The ability of American citizens to ensure their votes are accurately tallied and not illegally diminished is crucial for identifying the legitimate victor in an election," stated the White House in a press release issued last week.
The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office described the action as an attempt to seize control with the aim of overriding both Congressional and state governmental powers.
The president has repeatedly attempted to behave as though he were a monarch, seizing powers that rightfully belong to other governmental bodies—be they Congress, the judiciary, or here specifically, the states—and employing these powers to penalize those states that do not readily submit and comply with his illegal directives," Platkin stated. "In this instance, he is undermining the basic right to vote.
"This presidential directive is an unprecedented assault on voting rights and stands as the most significant such action by a president in modern times," he stated.
Platkin has joined his fellow attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
This is one of several lawsuits New Jersey has initiated legal action or allied itself with others under Attorney General Platkin to contest actions taken by Trump during his first two months back in the White House.
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Jelani Gibson may be reached at [email protected] .
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