Attorney General Jennifer Davenport announced on Apr. 3 that she has joined a coalition of 23 attorneys general and one governor in filing a lawsuit against President Trump in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The lawsuit challenges an executive order signed by President Trump on March 31, which seeks to create a national list of eligible voters and directs the U.S. Postal Service to send mail ballots only to those listed, threatening states with criminal prosecution and loss of federal funding if they do not comply.
The coalition argues that this executive order infringes upon states’ constitutional authority to manage their own elections and could disrupt established voting procedures. The issue is significant because it raises questions about federal overreach into state-controlled election systems, particularly concerning voter eligibility and mail-in voting processes.
“The Constitution makes clear that states administer elections in America – not the federal government,” said Attorney General Davenport. “Changes to election rules cannot be made by the President through a blatantly unlawful executive order that seeks to disenfranchise voters in the name of debunked conspiracy theories about widespread fraud from voting by mail. Americans trust their local and state officials to run free, fair, and secure elections. We are confident the courts will reject this blatant power grab.” According to Davenport and her counterparts, the president’s directive would force states to abandon their own voter roll procedures, vote-by-mail systems, and registration laws for federally mandated requirements within a short time frame before major elections.
The attorneys general maintain that both state and federal law entitle all eligible voters to participate in elections under each state’s requirements for mail-in ballots. They argue that sudden changes required by the executive order would create confusion among voters just weeks before primary contests and months ahead of general election mail voting.
New Jersey has allowed voting by mail—formerly known as absentee voting—for decades, with such votes accounting for between 20% and 30% of ballots cast in recent years. Security measures include unique barcodes on ballot envelopes, prepaid return postage, required certifications from voters, and signature verification against registration records.
Davenport is joined in this legal action by attorneys general from California, Massachusetts, Nevada, Washington, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island; Vermont; Virginia; Wisconsin; Washington D.C.; as well as Pennsylvania’s governor.
According to the official website, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin aims to protect residents’ lives and property while upholding legal standards across all counties through enforcement activities statewide. The office also influences public safety through law enforcement oversight under its statutory mandate.
In addition,the office provides services including state legal representation for agencies or individuals involved with crime lab support or victim advocacy initiatives alongside consumer protection efforts throughout New Jersey.
