Trump’s election overhaul faces legal roadblock as Democratic National Committee, nonprofits sue

US President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at reforming the nation’s elections faced its first legal challenges, as the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and two nonprofit organisations filed separate lawsuits, asserting that the order is unconstitutional.

The Campaign Legal Center and the State Democracy Defenders Fund filed the first lawsuit Monday afternoon, followed shortly after by a second suit from the DNC, the Democratic Governors Association, and key Democratic leaders in the Senate and House, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Both lawsuits, submitted to the US District Court for the District of Columbia, seek to block Trump’s executive order and have it declared illegal.

“The president’s executive order is an unlawful action that threatens to uproot our tried-and-tested election systems and silence potentially millions of Americans,” said Danielle Lang, senior director of voting rights at the Campaign Legal Center. “It is simply not within the president’s authority to set election rules by executive decree, especially when they would restrict access to voting in this way.” 

The White House did not respond to requests for comment on the lawsuits. 

Legal experts had anticipated challenges to Trump’s executive order, as some of its provisions have raised concerns over potential violations of the US Constitution. Among the most contentious aspects are the proposed proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration and new rules for ballot deadlines, which critics argue could infringe on voters' rights. The order also attempts to assert presidential authority over the US Election Assistance Commission (EAC), an independent agency responsible for setting voluntary guidelines for voting systems and overseeing the federal voter registration form. 

Experts argue that the president does not have the constitutional authority to impose such changes on the EAC. The lawsuits come at a time when Congress is considering codifying a proof-of-citizenship requirement for voter registration into law. Trump has also signaled that additional actions related to elections may be forthcoming in the weeks ahead.

By Naila Huseynova