A federal court has issued a preliminary injunction against key provisions of an executive order on elections issued by former President Donald Trump. The decision, handed down by the District Court for the District of Massachusetts, follows a lawsuit led by Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford and a coalition of 19 attorneys general.
“Today’s court decision is a win for democracy and for state sovereignty,” said AG Ford. “The Trump administration’s unconstitutional and unlawful attempt to seize control of elections from the states is an attack on democracy and the right to vote. Our state’s elections are free, fair and safe, and I will fight back against any attempt to illegally interfere with our elections for political theater.”
The lawsuit argued that while Congress has authority under the Elections Clause to override state election laws in federal contests, neither the President nor the Executive Branch holds independent power to change how states conduct federal elections. The complaint stated that Trump’s executive order overstepped constitutional boundaries by infringing on state sovereignty and congressional powers.
Attorney General Ford was joined in leading the legal challenge by California Attorney General Rob Bonta, along with attorneys general from Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
