“The President’s attempt to seize control of our elections by selectively refusing to deliver mail-in ballots was unconstitutional and dangerous—and the court was right to strike it down,” Brown said. “We will continue to defend the right of eligible Washington voters to participate ion our democracy.”
A federal court has ruled against President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order on elections security and integrity. The ruling was prompted by a multistate lawsuit challenging the administration’s authority to restrict mail-in voting to individuals who have been approved by the government and whose names appear on lists maintained by the U.S. Postal Service.
In a press release, Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones described the ruling as a significant victory for democracy.
“Federal efforts to undermine our democracy will not stand. Donald Trump acted outside of his presidential power and today, he’s been held accountable,” Jones said. “This moment marks a victory for the rule of law, but make no mistake, our fundamental rights remain under attack.”
“The Trump administration has made it clear that they will stop at nothing to restrict access to the ballot box,” Jones added. “This office will continue using every legal power and authority at our disposal to counter the misuse of power at the federal level.”
Jones was one of 24 attorneys general who participated in the lawsuit.
Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown, another plaintiff in the lawsuit, emphasized that Trump’s executive order would’ve given the administration the ability to refuse to deliver mail-in ballots.
“The President’s attempt to seize control of our elections by selectively refusing to deliver mail-in ballots was unconstitutional and dangerous—and the court was right to strike it down,” Brown said. “We will continue to defend the right of eligible Washington voters to participate ion our democracy.”
The court’s decision declares key sections of the March 2026 order unconstitutional and, more broadly, blocks the Trump administration from attempting to implement or enforce similar provisions for the November general election. The judge also said that the Trump administration cannot take any action to assert control over states’ voter rolls and barred the government from investigating state election systems based on the unconstitutional provisions detailed in the original order.
The court also enjoined the U.S. Postal Service from “refusing to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots from voters registered in Plaintiff States to elections officials in Plaintiff States.”
The ruling, notes Brown’s office, was issued just “one day after Postmaster General David Steiner testified at a Senate hearing that under a proposed that the Postal Service will not deliver mail-in ballots in any state that refused to turn its voter rolls over to the Trump administration but reaffirmed the Postal Service [will] follow court orders governing voting by mail.”
Sources
AG Brown blocks Trump administration’s election power grab
Attorney General Jones Blocks Trump Administration from Exerting Federal Control Over Elections
AG Brown sues to block executive order that undermines voting rights
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