Overview

• A coalition of 19 Democratic-led state attorneys general, led by New York and Illinois, filed a motion on May 6 for a preliminary injunction to block President Trump's March 25 executive order on elections.
• The executive order mandates proof of citizenship for voter registration, bans counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day, and threatens to withhold federal funding from noncompliant states.
• The attorneys general claim the order violates the U.S. Constitution’s Elections Clause and the National Voter Registration Act, asserting it unlawfully seizes authority reserved for Congress and the states.
• Critics warn the order risks disenfranchising millions of eligible voters, with a 2023 Brennan Center report estimating 9% of voting-age citizens lack required documentation, disproportionately affecting communities of color.
• Parallel legislative efforts are underway as the SAVE Act, which includes similar proof-of-citizenship requirements, awaits a Senate vote after passing the U.S. House on April 11.