With mere weeks before the November 4 election, Oregon is one of 24 states plus Washington, D.C filing a lawsuit opposing a new Trump administration rule that will drastically change vote-by-mail rules.

Oregon Attorney General Says No President Has the Authority to Interfere With State Elections

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield points out that all affected states will have to bear the cost of redesigning mail ballot envelopes and obtaining approval before they can begin registering mail voters with the United States Postal Service (USPS).

Rayfield says that within weeks, and without additional resources, state election officials must develop systems to communicate mail voter lists to the USPS, train new election officials and educate the public on the new procedures stipulated by the Trump administration.

The President is demanding that states register every voter eligible to vote by mail with the USPS, which has been tasked with compiling state-specific voters’ lists. The rule also calls for a new design of mail-in ballot envelopes, which will be the only mail-in ballot envelopes that the USPS will deliver.

The petitioners claim that no President has the authority to interfere with any state election.

Governor Tina Kotek Says the Rule Is An Attempt to Silence the Voice Of the People

Yesterday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek came out in full support of the state Attorney General’s stance, calling the President’s rule an unconstitutional and undemocratic attempt to silence the voice of the people.

“We’re doing everything in our power to protect Oregonians’ right to vote,” says Kotek.

The Secretary of State Also Strongly Opposes the New Rule

The new rule, which gives the USPS the right to decide who gets a ballot, is also strongly opposed by Oregon’s Secretary of State, Tobias Read.

In a press statement, Read says now is not the time to change the rules. He says the rule is a clear attempt to make it harder for Americans to vote and will undermine free and fair elections.