Oregon Leads Multi-State Lawsuit to Block Presidential Executive Order on Mail Ballots

Oregon AG News & Media Releases

Filed April 3rd, 2026

Detected April 4th, 2026

Summary

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield filed a lawsuit on April 3, 2026, joined by 22 other attorneys general and one governor, challenging President Trump's March 31 executive order that would transfer authority over mail ballot distribution to the U.S. Postal Service. The coalition argues the order unconstitutionally centralizes election administration at the federal level and would force states to rapidly overhaul their election systems.

View original document View source feed page

What changed

The lawsuit challenges Executive Order dated March 31, 2026, which would direct the U.S. Postal Service to withhold mail ballots from voters not on a federally approved list—effectively giving a federal agency control over ballot delivery. Oregon leads a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia arguing this violates the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution, as election administration authority is reserved to states under the Electors Clause.

The coalition argues the order would require states to upend existing election procedures with dangerously short timelines—potentially weeks before primary elections and months before the 2026 general election mail voting begins. Oregon's vote-by-mail system, pioneered in the state with bipartisan support, is directly threatened. Oregon previously successfully challenged the administration's demands for unredacted voter rolls. No specific court docket number is provided in the announcement.

What to do next

Monitor litigation status as this lawsuit proceeds through federal courts
Prepare contingency procedures in case the executive order is upheld while litigation continues
Review existing vote-by-mail procedures for potential federal compliance issues

Source document (simplified)

News & Media Releases

All Oregon DOJ News

- Media Releases

#### Search by Keyword
#### Filter by News Category

OCPA Privacy Law Hate and Bias Crimes Voting and Elections
- #### View Prior News

From:

- To:

Attorney General Rayfield Sues to Stop Trump from Using the Postal Service to Decide Who Gets a Ballot

April 3, 2026 • Posted in Lawsuits and Letters, Media Release

Oregon and other states files lawsuit today over executive order that limits vote by mail

Attorney General Dan Rayfield and 22 other attorneys general and one governor are filing a lawsuit today to block President Trump’s March 31 executive order that would put the federal government in charge of deciding which Oregonians receive a mail ballot — a power that has always belonged to the states.

“The United States Postal Service has one job: to deliver the mail. President Trump is trying to give it a second one — deciding which Americans get a ballot,” said Attorney General Rayfield. “That is not the postal service’s role, it is not the federal government’s role, and it is not constitutional. Trump has spent years weaponizing federal agencies to prop up his false story that fraud cost him the 2020 election. He votes by mail. Oregonians vote by mail. And Oregon will keep running its own elections.”

The lawsuit argues that the executive order violates the separation of powers. The U.S. Constitution gives states – not the president – the authority to conduct elections. The order attempts to weaponize the U.S. Postal Service by directing it to withhold mail ballots from any voter not on a federally approved list. Under the order, a federal agency – not Oregon election officials – would control whether an Oregonian’s ballot ever reaches them.

The attorneys general argue that the President’s Executive Order would require states to upend their existing election administration procedures for upcoming elections and conduct statewide voter education at a dangerously quick pace – potentially within weeks of primary elections and mere months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election. The coalition argues that such drastic and rapid changes will undoubtedly create confusion, chaos, and distrust in state election systems, all while threatening to disenfranchise eligible voters.

Oregon’s vote-by-mail system works — and has for decades.

Oregon pioneered vote-by-mail, and the system has earned bipartisan praise. Three Republican secretaries of state oversaw Oregon’s vote-by-mail system and championed its security and accessibility. Today, vote-by-mail is used across the country, including in Republican-led states, and has grown in popularity with voters of all political backgrounds. Even President Trump voted by mail recently in a Florida local election.

This executive order is not an isolated act. Since returning to office, President Trump has waged a sustained campaign to reshape American elections — bypassing Congress, bypassing states, and bypassing the Constitution — while repeating disproven claims that fraud cost him the 2020 election.

A year ago, Trump signed a similar executive order overhauling election rules. Courts blocked it. His administration then demanded unredacted Oregon voter rolls. Attorney General Rayfield fought that in court — and won. Now the administration is trying again, this time using the U.S. Postal Service.

Attorney General Rayfield is joined in this lawsuit by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, and the Governor of Pennsylvania.

Share Share Share Email Print