BOSTON (KEYT) – California Attorney General Rob Bonta and a coalition of 23 other attorneys general have filed for a summary judgement in their legal challenge to the Trump Administration's unprecedented attempt to federalize elections.
Earlier this month, Attorney General Bonta, the Governor of Pennsylvania, and attorneys general from 23 other states filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, alleging that Executive Order No. 14399, issued on March 31, 2026, unlawfully asserts federal oversight of elections nationwide.
"President Trump's executive order [Ensuring Citizenship Verification And Integrity In Federal Elections EO No. 14399] not only represents a dangerous attempt to erode public trust in free and fair elections; it also reeks of desperation. Facing clear political headwinds — as he and Republicans are likely to suffer heavy losses in the upcoming midterm elections — he is throwing everything at the wall and hoping something sticks. This will not," explained Attorney General Bonta in a press release Friday. "We are seeking summary judgment because we firmly believe that the law is on our side and that the case can be decided expeditiously. President Trump has used mail voting himself. If it's good enough for him, it should be accessible to other voters without unnecessary and unlawful obstacles."
The U.S. Constitution states in Article I, Section 4 that decisions regarding, "the times, places, and manner of holding Elections" are delegated to Congress and managed by each state.
The Section does not mention any executive branch position, office, or department.
Regardless, Executive Order No. 14399 made sweeping changes to national elections in the following ways:
- Tasked the Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration to create a list of voters using federal databases and transmit that voter list to elections officials in each state at least 60 days before any federal election
- Directed the Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service to develop lists of voters enrolled with the federal agency for mail-in voting and coordinate with the Department of Justice to investigate any use of mailed elections materials outside of federally authorized mail-in voting
- Ordered the Attorney General of the United States to take all lawful steps to stop non-compliance with the new elections rules and required states and localities to preserve all records of voter participation in any federal election for five years
"Neither the Constitution nor any act of Congress confers upon the President the authority to mandate sweeping changes to States’ electoral systems or procedures," argued the lawsuit filed earlier this month. "The EO [Executive Order] erects shadow voter eligibility lists within the federal government and uses threats of investigation and prosecution to coerce States into disenfranchising voters missing from those lists. It also direct