League and Partners Clarify Constitutional Authority to set Election Dates in Letter to President

The League joined a letter to President Trump outlining the constitutional authority around setting Election  dates. The letter is signed by 50 organizations.

July 30, 2020

President Donald Trump
The White House 1
600 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

Per the U.S. Constitution, Congress has the sole power to “determine the Time of chusing the Electors, and the Day on which they shall give their Votes.” Under this authority, 3 U.S.C. § 1 dictates that the general presidential election be held this year on November 3, 2020.

Per the U.S. Constitution, Amendment XX Section 1: “The terms of the President and Vice President shall end at noon on the 20th day of January, and the terms of Senators and Representatives at noon on the 3d day of January, of the years in which such terms would have ended if this article had not been ratified; and the terms of their successors shall then begin”.

The power to determine these dates is not vested in the President of the United States.

Signed,

American Federation of Teachers
American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC)
Brady
The Center for Popular Democracy
Church World Service
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW)
Clean Elections Texas
Coalition to Preserve, Protect & Defend
Common Cause
Constitutional Accountability Center
Declaration for American Democracy
DemCast
USA Democracy 21
Democracy Matters
End Citizens United / Let America Vote Action Fund
FairVote
Faith in Public Life Fix Democracy First
Greenpeace USA
Indivisible
Lawyers for Good Government
Leadership Conference of Women Religious
League of Women Voters of the United States
MapLight
Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal Church
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd
National Council of Jewish Women
NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice
New American Leaders Action Fund
Niskanen Center
Open The Government
Oxfam America
Pax Christi USA
People For the American Way
Planned Parenthood Action Fund
Progressive Turnout Project
Protect Democracy
Public Citizen
Republicans for the Rule of Law
R Street Institute
Secure Elections Network
Service Employees International Union
Sojourners
Stand Up America
Union for Reform Judaism
Union of Concerned Scientists
Unitarian Universalist Association
United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries
Verified Voting
Voices for Progress
Wisconsin Democracy Campaign