Case Summary
LWV and LWVMA filed a lawsuit against the Trump Administration challenging a Trump administration executive order targeting mail voting and voter eligibility.
On March 31, 2026, President Trump signed Executive Order (EO) 14399, “Ensuring Citizen Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections.” The EO seeks to seize control of election administration from Congress and the states, which no constitutional text allows. There are two major focuses of the EO: (1) mail voting and (2) citizenship verification.
First, the EO attacks mail voting by instructing the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to create a list of “approved” mail voters and refuse to deliver ballots from voters who are not on that list. It also threatens states with failure to deliver their voters’ ballots unless each state submits lists of eligible mail voters to USPS at least 60 days before every federal election.
Second, the EO directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to compile lists of citizens from various federal databases, including the Social Security Administration, and send those lists to states before every federal election. These databases are out-of-date and unreliable, which will almost certainly lead to the disenfranchisement of eligible voters.
On April 2, 2026, the League of Women Voters (LWV), the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts (LWVMA), and multiple partners filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. LWV and LWVMA filed the complaint alongside Association of Americans Resident Overseas, US Vote Foundation, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. The plaintiffs asserted that (1) the EO violates the constitutional separation of powers; (2) is outside the President’s authority to instruct USPS in violation of Congress’s postal statutes; (3) violates the Tenth Amendment and principles of federalism by forcing states to change their election laws; (4) burdens the right to vote; (5) violates Section 11(a) of the Voting Rights Act by directing USPS to refuse to deliver lawful ballots to eligible voters; and (6) violates the Privacy Act by requiring the creation and sharing of Americans’ sensitive personal data without required process.
The plaintiffs asked the court to declare the EO unconstitutional and grant injunctive relief to stop its implementation. Litigation is ongoing.
LWV and LWVMA are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Voting Rights Project, ACLU of Massachusetts, Brennan Center for Justice, NAACP Legal Defense & Educational Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice-AAJC, and Latino Justice PRLDEF.
LWV Timeline
President Trump signs second executive order on elections
President Trump signs a new executive order targeting mail voting. The EO directs agencies to create lists of eligible voters using federal databases that risk disenfranchising eligible voters, including League members.
LWV and LWVMA file lawsuit in federal court
LWV, LWVMA, and co-plaintiffs file a federal lawsuit against the Trump Administration in Massachusetts challenging the March 31 executive order. The plaintiffs allege the EO violates the constitution and several federal laws.
Plaintiffs move for preliminary injunction
The plaintiffs move for a preliminary injunction, asking the court to stop implementation of Section 3 of the EO and any other provision allowing the president to issue orders to the postal service.
District Court holds hearing
The district court hears arguments from LWV and its co-plaintiffs against the Executive Order.
District court partially denies motion to dismiss
The district court partially denies defendants' motion to dismiss the lawsuit. The court allows LWV and its co-plaintiffs' claims against the EO regarding the November 2026 midterm election to proceed. The court dismisses the plaintiffs' challenge to the implementation of the EO after the November 2026 election, ruling it was too soon to allow those claims to proceed.
District court in separate case enjoins Section 3 of the EO
In a separate lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, the court issues an injunction forbidding implementation of Section 3 of the EO, which requires the USPS to refuse to mail ballots to states that do not transmit lists of absentee voters to the federal government.
District court denies preliminary injunction
The district court denies the plaintiffs’ motion for a preliminary injunction, stating that another injunction in a separate lawsuit against the EO provides the relief they requested. The plaintiffs are allowed to file a new motion for a preliminary injunction.