- On March 31, President Donald Trump issued an executive order entitled "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections," which calls on the Department of Homeland Security to create a State Citizenship List for each state identifying residents who are confirmed U.S. citizens.
- The executive order directs the U.S. Postal Service to develop administrative regulations that would prohibit mail carriers from transmitting mail ballots to or from anyone not included on those lists.
- The case was filed in federal court in Massachusetts, the same court that issued an injunction in July blocking the Trump administration from implementing the executive order. Plaintiffs include attorneys general from 23 states, including Illinois, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro.
- On Wednesday, Illinois AG Kwame Raoul announced he has joined a challenging new rules that purport to give it authority to regulate mail-in voting in federal elections.
- Raoul said in a news release: "We are asking the court for emergency relief because the administration is trying to undermine our citizens' access to voting within weeks of the midterm elections," and "The U.S. Constitution plainly gives states not the executive branch the power to administer elections, and I am committed to swiftly fighting against this blatantly unconstitutional rule."
- The lawsuit cites some of the president's own social media posts as evidence that his executive order is part of a strategy to keep Republicans in power, including a May 29, 2020 post on Twitter (now X) saying mail voting would "LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY," and an Aug. 18, 2025 post on Truth Social saying he aims to "get rid of MAIL-IN BALLOTS."
- According to reports, however, Trump himself cast a mail-in ballot earlier this month in Florida's primary elections. The Postal Service finalized administrative rules to implement the executive order on Friday, Aug. 21, before the Supreme Court issued its order the following Monday.
- It remains unclear how, or whether, the new rules will be implemented ahead of this year's November elections. A spokesperson for the Illinois State Board of Elections stated it has not received any federal list of U.S. citizens and has not been informed about whether one exists.
Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced his participation in a lawsuit involving 23 states against the U.S. Postal Service, challenging new regulations that could limit mail-in voting. The suit was filed in federal court in Massachusetts, where a previous injunction blocked a Trump administration order.345691011
The lawsuit aims to prevent the implementation of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump on March 31, titled "Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections." This order seeks to create a "State Citizenship List" for each state, identifying residents confirmed as U.S. citizens eligible to vote.12
Raoul emphasized the urgency of the situation, stating, "We are asking the court for emergency relief because the administration is trying to undermine our citizens' access to voting within weeks of the midterm elections." He further asserted, "The U.S. Constitution plainly gives states — not the executive branch — the power to administer elections..."78
The lawsuit cites Trump's own social media posts as evidence of a strategy to maintain Republican power, including a May 29, 2020, tweet claiming mail voting would "LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY." Despite this, Trump himself cast a mail-in ballot in Florida's primary elections earlier this month.1213
As of now, it remains unclear how the Postal Service's new rules will be implemented ahead of the upcoming November elections, with the Illinois State Board of Elections reporting no federal list of U.S. citizens has been received.1415
“The lawsuit cites Trump's own social media posts, including a 2020 tweet that mail voting would 'LEAD TO THE END OF OUR GREAT REPUBLICAN PARTY,' as evidence of intent to suppress votes. Raoul seeks emergency relief, arguing the rule is 'blatantly unconstitutional' and undermines voting access within weeks of the midterms.”
CBS News
