Democrats, Advocacy Groups Sue Trump Over Attempt to Impose Sweeping Changes on Election Systems

Israel Adeleke 

OPEN TELEVISION NAIJA (OTN) News reports that the Democratic Party and some Advocacy groups in separate lawsuits, have instituted high level litigations against the Trump administration over his sweeping executive order that imposes strict new voting requirements, including proof of citizenship to register and limits on mail-in ballot counting.

OTN News further reports as gathered that the two who filed the lawsuits on Monday in federal court, challenged the order, which bans states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. 

The Democrats argued that the new policy by the administration requires voters to present citizenship documentation, such as a passport, when registering, a move which they feel will disenfranchise millions of eligible voters.

The lawsuit, filed in Washington by the Democratic National Committee, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, and other top Democrats, added, "the President does not get to dictate the rules of our elections," 

They further argued, "This executive order seeks to impose radical changes on how Americans register, vote, and participate in democracy, all of which threaten to silence lawful voters and none of which is legal," 

OTN News recalls that President Trump, who signed the order on March 25, titled "Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections," hailed it as "the farthest-reaching executive action taken" to secure U.S. elections. 

OTN News further recalls that Trump has long questioned the legitimacy of the electoral system and promoted baseless claims of widespread voter fraud, particularly concerning absentee voting.

However, legal experts have quickly condemned the order as an overreach of presidential power, warning that it could block millions from voting. 

Also, advocacy organizations, including the Campaign Legal Center and State Democracy Defenders Fund, have also filed a separate lawsuit against the directive.

The Campaign Legal Center, Danielle Lang, claimed, "this order is an unlawful attempt to uproot our well-established election systems and disenfranchise potentially millions of Americans,"

He argued that, "the president simply does not have the authority to dictate election rules by executive decree, especially in a way that restricts access to the ballot."