Key facts
- Advocacy groups are challenging Donald Trump’s executive orders concerning voting rights and election matters.
- Key organizations involved include the Democracy Defenders Fund, Campaign Legal Center, and the ACLU.
- A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order, later made permanent, against USPS rules aimed at curbing mail-in voting.
- The Department of Justice has appealed these rulings, arguing they cause irreparable harm.
- Critics allege these actions are part of a broader effort to undermine election integrity based on unsubstantiated fraud claims.
A coalition of legal advocacy groups, including the Democracy Defenders Fund, Campaign Legal Center, and the American Civil Liberties Union, are intensifying their legal battles against Donald Trump’s executive orders concerning voting and election administration. These groups, bolstered by veteran lawyers, voting experts, and former judges, argue that Trump's actions constitute an "assault on democracy" and a "war" on the rule of law.
Central to the current legal challenges are executive orders aimed at restricting mail-in voting and asserting federal authority over election matters, which are typically managed by states. The Campaign Legal Center and Democracy Defenders Fund have jointly filed lawsuits challenging the constitutionality of these orders, particularly one issued in March 2026 that would limit mail-in voting and involve the U.S. Postal Service. A federal judge, Indira Talwani, initially granted a 14-day restraining order against these USPS rules and later made the injunction permanent, citing the threat of disenfranchisement and a lack of evidence for widespread mail-in voting fraud.
The Department of Justice, represented by solicitor general John Sauer, has appealed these rulings, arguing that the injunctions cause "serious, irreparable harm" to the government and the public. The DoJ contends that the USPS rules are reasonable preparation requirements and do not usurp states' control over elections. However, a whistleblower complaint released by Senator Richard Blumenthal alleged a "secretive, rushed" implementation of Trump's order by the USPS, potentially leading to "catastrophic failure."
Beyond mail-in voting, groups like the ACLU are pushing back against administration efforts to obtain sensitive voter data from states, with the ACLU reporting significant success in legal challenges against such actions. Critics point to Trump's repeated false claims about election fraud and non-citizen voting as evidence of a coordinated effort to interfere with elections. The Department of Justice has also warned election officials of potential criminal liability for retaining noncitizens on voter rolls and announced plans to deploy an unusually large contingent of lawyers to monitor voting nationwide.
Organizations like the Washington Litigation Group have expanded their legal teams to handle the increased volume of election-related litigation under tight deadlines. The Democracy Defenders Fund, co-founded by former ambassador Norm Eisen, has been involved in over 300 legal matters since its inception, focusing on elections, the rule of law, and anti-corruption, often collaborating with ideologically diverse groups to build broad credibility.