Administration

Jeffries, Schumer knock Trump mail-in voting order: ‘Unlawful power grab’

by Sophie Brams - 04/01/26 8:49 AM ET

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Democratic leaders on Tuesday ripped President Trump’s executive order that cracks down on mail-in voting and creates a nationwide eligible voters list, as the president seeks to use his authority to exert more control over federal elections ahead of the midterms.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) criticized the order as an “unlawful power grab,” calling the president’s actions “unhinged” and accusing Republicans of trying to “desperately cling to power” by making it harder for people to vote.

“The Constitution is clear. Donald Trump has no power to change the way states conduct their elections,” Jeffries said in a statement. “We will fight back against this desperate Republican scheme to take over our free and fair elections and end the era of voter suppression in America once and for all.”

The order, signed Tuesday, directs Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to work with the Social Security Administration to compile a list of verified U.S. citizens who are eligible to vote.

It bars the U.S. Postal Service from sending ballots to those not on the state’s approved mail-in ballot list and requires ballots to be secured in envelopes with barcodes for tracking.

The order also directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to prioritize investigations and prosecutions of anyone accused of sending ballots to ineligible voters.

Jeffries argued the order allows the administration to “unilaterally determine who is allowed to vote” and seeks to intimidate state election officials by subjecting them to “unnecessary” investigations. He also claimed the privacy of millions of Americans could be at risk.

Trump has often claimed, without evidence, that mail-in ballots and instances of undocumented immigrants voting contributed to widespread fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Those unsubstantiated allegations have formed the basis for his recent calls to “nationalize” elections and pressure over the SAVE Act, a national voter ID law that would require Americans to show photo IDs when voting in federal elections and provide proof of citizenship to register.

The president has taken aim at the practice of mail-in voting before, previously calling the process of states counting ballots received after Election Day “absurd.” Many states accept absentee and mail-in ballots as long as they are postmarked by Election Day.

Democrats have already vowed to pursue legal challenges against Trump’s latest attempt to overhaul federal elections.

“See you in court. You will lose,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) wrote Tuesday on the social platform X.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser (D) said in a statement that Trump lacks constitutional authority to interfere with state election rules and pledged to sue.

“The constitution is clear that the states determine the time, place, and manner of elections. Nearly all Colorado voters — Democrats, Republicans, and Unaffiliated — use mail in ballot in our elections. Colorado’s voting system is secure and fair, and we will take legal action to protect Colorado’s elections,” Weiser, a candidate for governor in the Centennial State, wrote.

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