The Democratic National Committee, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, Democratic Governors Association, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries filed a lawsuit against President Donald Trump and his administration. The suit challenges Executive Order 14215, signed by Trump on Tuesday, which seeks to impose new federal requirements on mail-in and absentee voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The plaintiffs filed the case in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, alleging the order is unconstitutional and exceeds presidential authority. Democrats argue it violates the First, Fourth, Fifth, and Tenth Amendments by interfering with states' rights to regulate elections, turning the U.S. Postal Service into an election administrator, and creating a national citizenship database that breaches privacy laws.

Under the order, the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Social Security Administration, must compile and send states lists of confirmed U.S. citizens who will be 18 or older by the next federal election. These State Citizenship Lists must be updated and transmitted at least 60 days before each regularly scheduled federal election. The Postmaster General is directed to require secure ballot envelopes with trackable barcodes for mail-in ballots and to transmit ballots only to voters on state-specific Mail-in and Absentee Participation Lists. The Attorney General must prioritize prosecutions of illegal ballot distribution and coordinate withholding federal funds from noncompliant states and localities.

The White House fact sheet describes the measures as essential to verify citizenship, prevent non-citizen voting, and secure mail ballots, using existing tools like DHS's SAVE program and SSA records to close verification gaps. Trump has long criticized mail-in voting, citing fraud concerns from the 2020 election despite investigations finding no widespread issues.

At the signing, Trump dismissed potential legal challenges, saying, "I don’t know how it can be challenged... You get a lot of rogue judges, very bad, bad people, very bad judges. But that’s the only way that can be changed, and hopefully we’ll win an appeal." The White House did not immediately comment on the lawsuit.

This marks the second major legal fight over Trump's election-related executive actions. Parts of a March 2025 order on voter lists and ballot deadlines were previously blocked by courts. Republicans in several states have advanced similar citizenship proof requirements, facing their own lawsuits. Trump has urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which cleared the House but has stalled in the Senate.

Oregon officials have separately vowed to sue, calling the order an overreach. The lawsuit could disrupt implementation before midterms, when early mail ballots may appear as soon as September in some areas.