President Trump’s Executive Order on Mail-In Voting Faces Legal Challenge in Michigan
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has vowed to challenge President Trump’s recent executive order, signed on March 31, which aims to create a national list of eligible voters for mail-in ballots. The order calls for increased security measures, including unique barcodes on ballots for tracking purposes.
President Trump justified the order by stating that it was necessary to address widespread mail-in voting fraud, a claim that has been debunked by research. According to the Brookings Institute, mail voting fraud only accounted for 0.000043% of all mail ballots cast, indicating a minimal risk.
Secretary of State Benson denounced the executive order as “illegal on its face,” emphasizing that states, not the president, have the authority to manage elections. She highlighted that the order was an unnecessary response to a non-existent problem and criticized it for overreaching into state election processes.
Legal Stand Against Federal Overreach
Attorney General Dana Nessel and Governor Gretchen Whitmer also expressed opposition to the executive order, with Nessel indicating a readiness to pursue legal action against it. Nessel emphasized the constitutional principle that the president cannot dictate state voting laws and underscored the need to protect states’ rights in election matters.
Governor Whitmer, in collaboration with Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, released a joint statement reaffirming the commitment of Democratic governors to defend the fundamental right to vote and resist federal overreach in state election processes.
