Oregon Is Trying to Block Trump in Court From Accessing Unique Mail-In Ballot Information

Oregon is in the midst of a legal wrangle to prevent President Donald Trump from enforcing a ruling calling on states to submit the names, addresses, and unique ballot information of voters who receive mail-in ballots.

The Secretary of State Calls the Move Illegal and Unconstitutional

Secretary of State Tobias Read says Trump’s threat to disenfranchise thousands of Oregon voters is illegal and an unconstitutional attempt by the president to “pick and choose” individuals eligible to vote.

His objections are echoed by Governor Tina Kotek, who writes in a Facebook post that Oregon’s mail-in system has been operational for nearly 30 years, “because it works.” Furthermore, she says it allows every eligible voter “an efficient, secure way to make their voice heard.”

Their sentiments are shared by Democratic officials across the U.S., and Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield argues that the order is unlawful because only states, and not the president, have the constitutional right to conduct elections.

Together with several other states, Oregon is legally challenging Trump’s executive order. AG Rayfield is participating in a multi-state lawsuit filed in Boston earlier this month.

If the federal government’s new rule becomes law, Oregon will have to provide the names, addresses, and unique ballot information of its thousands of mail-in voters to the U.S. Postal Service.

According to President Trump, this will enable the federal government to create a list of verified eligible voters registered in every state. It will also prevent the Postal Service from sending mail-in ballots to individuals whose names do not appear on those lists.