Posted June 1, 2026 | by KimS | in 2026 Elections, Donald Trump, Voting Rights

DemDaily: Voter Suppression: Trump’s Latest Victory

June 1, 2026

In another threat to the voting rights of Americans, a federal judge last week refused to block President Donald Trump's latest attempt at voter suppression, clearing the way the administration to initiate creation of a nationwide list of verified eligible federal voters and extreme restrictions on mail ballots.

The executive order, signed on March 31, 2026, is part of the administration’s multifaceted campaign to undermine our country's electoral process and rig the system to the GOP's advantage going into the consequential 2026 midterm elections.

The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting in at least -- many -- 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” - President Donald Trump, Dan Bongino Show, 2/2/26

The Republicans should say, ‘We want to take over, we should take over the voting in at least -- many -- 15 places. The Republicans ought to nationalize the voting.” - President Donald Trump, Dan Bongino Show, 2/2/26

Background
Trump has relentlessly claimed that the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden, was "stolen" due to widespread mail voter fraud -- even though countless courts, investigations, and audits, including those conducted by Republicans, found no such evidence.

This was Trump's second executive order seeking to overhaul elections and voting. His first, "Preserving And Protecting The Integrity Of American Elections," issued just two months into his second term, sought to require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote, and required that mail ballots be returned by Election Day.

It also granted then-DOGE Director Elon Musk and the Department of Homeland Security full access to voter files and voter list maintenance records from every state, among other changes, but all or parts of the order have been blocked by multiple federal judges.

Trump's attempts to push election suppression through Congress via The SAVE Act, legislation aimed at "securing election integrity" by significantly restricting voter registration eligibility for federal elections, were also unsuccessful.

Key components of the March 31 Ensuring Citizenship Verification And Integrity In Federal Elections Executive Order include:

* Creating Citizenship Lists: It directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration (SSA) to build "State Citizenship Lists" composed of individuals 18 and older who are confirmed to be US citizens.

* Restricting Mail-In Ballots: The order instructs the US Postal Service (USPS) to transmit mail and absentee ballots only to voters who are enrolled on an approved, state-specific participation list.

* Ballot Tracking: It mandates that all outbound ballot mail be marked as Official Election Mail and feature unique tracking barcodes.

* Penalties: The order threatens to withhold federal funds from states that refuse to comply and prioritizes the prosecution of election officials who violate the new rules.

Democrats, civil rights groups and postal unions filed lawsuits, arguing the illegality at the heart of the order is that the Constitution gives power over federal elections to the states and Congress, not to the president.

Thursday's ruling by Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee sitting on the US District Court for the District of Columbia, leaves in place for now yet another decision favoring the scope of the president's power under the Constitution.

Nichols' decision, however, was purely a procedural one, saying that the legal challenges to the executive order were premature as federal agencies like the DHS and SSA had not yet finalized or distributed the citizenship lists. The plaintiffs, therefore, failed to prove they had suffered "imminent and irreparable harm."

The plaintiff groups contended that an immediate restraining order was necessary with the elections less than six months away.

"The Court recognizes that the Postal Service may ultimately issue a final rule that directly affects Plaintiffs or their members, or that the Government may develop State Citizenship Lists that omit specific individuals due to particularized flaws. Plaintiffs may, of course, renew their motions if and when those future actions occur. Until then, however, Plaintiffs cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted." - US District Court Carl Nichols

"The Court recognizes that the Postal Service may ultimately issue a final rule that directly affects Plaintiffs or their members, or that the Government may develop State Citizenship Lists that omit specific individuals due to particularized flaws. Plaintiffs may, of course, renew their motions if and when those future actions occur. Until then, however, Plaintiffs cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted." - US District Court Carl Nichols

The legal battle against the provision now shifts to Boston, where voting rights groups have a separate lawsuit seeking to temporarily block the executive order in federal court.

Related: DemDaily: Barriers to the Ballot Box: The SAVE America Act 3/25/26

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