Last night, in response to Trump’s illegal executive order on election administration, the DNC joined hands with the Democratic Governors Association (DGA), Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and Democratic Senate and House leaders Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries in filing a lawsuit to block Trump’s attempt to undermine our electoral process. The lawsuit correctly argues that Trump’s executive order attempts to suppress voters, upend voter registration systems and hand over sensitive information to DOGE, stop states from counting eligible mail ballots, and withhold federal election funding from dozens of states in the process.

With this move, Democrats are proving once again that they will use every tool at their disposal to preserve democracy from Trump’s baseless attacks. 

Take a look at some of the coverage highlights below: 

New York Times: Democrats Sue Trump Over Executive Order on Elections

[Nick Corasaniti, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “Nearly every arm of the Democratic Party united in filing a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday night, arguing that a recent executive order signed by the president seeking to require documentary proof of citizenship and other voting reforms is unconstitutional. …

“‘This executive order is an unconstitutional power grab from Donald Trump that attacks vote by mail, gives DOGE sensitive personal information and makes it harder for states to run their own free and fair elections,’ they said. ‘Donald Trump and DOGE are doing this as an attempt to rationalize their repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories and set the groundwork to throw out legal votes and ignore election outcomes they do not like.’”

Associated Press: Nonprofit groups and Democrats sue Trump administration over election executive order

[Ali Swenson, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “President Donald Trump’s executive order seeking to overhaul the nation’s elections faced its first legal challenges Monday as the Democratic National Committee and a pair of nonprofits filed two separate lawsuits calling it unconstitutional. …

“The DNC’s lawsuit highlights the role of the government’s controversial cost-cutting arm, the Department of Government Efficiency.

“It alleges the order’s data-sharing requirements, including instructing DOGE to cross-reference federal data with state voter lists, violate Democrats’ privacy rights and increase the risk that they will be harassed ‘based on false suspicions that they are not qualified to vote.’”

Washington Post: Democrats sue Trump administration over elections executive order

[Mariana Alfaro, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “Several Democratic groups — including the Democratic National Committee — along with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-New York) and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) sued the Trump administration Monday over President Donald Trump’s executive order that calls for changes to the election system, including a requirement that people provide proof of citizenship when registering to vote. …

“‘Donald Trump and DOGE are doing this as an attempt to rationalize their repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories and set the groundwork to throw out legal votes and ignore election outcomes they do not like,’ the statement said. ‘It’s anti-American and Democrats are using every tool at our disposal — including taking Trump to court — to stop this illegal overreach that undermines our democracy.’”

Politico: Democrats sue Trump over his proposed sweeping overhaul of US elections

[Ben Johansen, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “A suit filed Monday in federal court in Washington argues that Trump’s March 25 order titled ‘Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,’ is an unconstitutional attempt to wrestle authority over elections from the states and set new voting requirements such as proof of citizenship and changes to ballot deadline rules.

“Nearly the entire Democratic party’s fund raising and campaign apparatus joined the suit as did Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, challenging what they called a ‘power grab’ in a statement announcing their action.

“‘It’s anti-American and Democrats are using every tool at our disposal — including taking Trump to court — to stop this illegal overreach that undermines our democracy,’ they said.”

Reuters: Democrats sue Trump administration over election executive order 

[Luc Cohen, 4/1/25]

Key Point: “In a lawsuit against the Trump administration filed in Washington, D.C. federal court, the Democratic National Committee said Trump exceeded his authority in the March 25 order by requiring voters to prove they are U.S. citizens, preventing states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day, and threatening to take federal funding away from states that do not comply.”

Bloomberg: Democrats Sue Trump Over Sweeping ‘Election Integrity’ Order

[Erik Larson, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “President Donald Trump’s sweeping executive order directing major changes to how the US registers voters and counts mail-in ballots was challenged as unconstitutional in separate lawsuits filed by the Democratic National Committee and a slew of nonprofits.

“Trump’s directive, which for the first time would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and ban the counting of lawful mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day, threatens to disenfranchise voters and upend an election system that has ‘stood the test of time,’ the DNC said in its complaint. …

“The framers of the Constitution ‘foresaw that self-interested and self-aggrandizing leaders might seek to corrupt our democratic system of government to expand and preserve their own power,’ the Democrats said. ‘They therefore created a decentralized system of elections based upon separated powers divided among the leaders elected by — and closest to — the people.’”

Newsweek: Donald Trump’s Executive Orders Suffer Double Legal Blow

[Sean O’Driscoll, 4/1/25]

Key Point: “The challenge was filed on Monday by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer; House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries; and four national Democratic committees, including the Democratic National Convention [DNC].

“The lawsuit states: ‘In the United States of America, the President does not get to dictate the rules of our elections.

“‘Although the Order extensively reflects the President’s personal grievances, conspiratorial beliefs, and election denialism, nowhere does it (nor could it) identify any legal authority he possesses to impose such sweeping changes upon how Americans vote.’”

Axios: Read: Trump admin sued by Democrats, nonprofits over elections order

[Rebecca Falconer, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “The Democratic groups in their lawsuit that was filed by Elias Law Group called Trump’s action an ‘unlawful effort to upturn the electoral playing field in his favor and against his political rivals.’ …

“The lawsuit alleges the order would force ‘numerous federal agencies to reveal sensitive personal information about millions of voters’ to DOGE, the federal cost-cutting department that is Elon Musk is the face of. DOGE is among the defendants listed in the suit. …

“‘Donald Trump and DOGE are doing this as an attempt to rationalize their repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories and set the groundwork to throw out legal votes and ignore election outcomes they do not like,’ said Schumer, Jeffries and other Democratic leaders in a statement Monday.”

Democracy Docket: Democrats Sue to Block Trump Bid to Control Elections

[Jacob Knutson, 3/31/25]

Key Point: “Filed Monday by Elias Law Group on behalf of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), and four national Democratic committees – the DNC, DGA, DSCC and DCCC – the lawsuit alleges Trump’s order is an illegal attempt to control how elections are administered, a power the Constitution grants to the states and Congress.

“‘In the United States of America, the President does not get to dictate the rules of our elections,’ the lawsuit reads. …

“‘Donald Trump and DOGE are doing this as an attempt to rationalize their repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories and set the groundwork to throw out legal votes and ignore election outcomes they do not like,’ the Democrats said.”

The Hill: Democrats sue over Trump election overhaul order

[Ashleigh Fields, 4/1/25]

Key Point: “The Democratic National Committee (DNC), aligned groups and party leaders filed a lawsuit on Monday over President Trump’s March executive order, which would overhaul elections. …

“‘Donald Trump and DOGE are doing this as an attempt to rationalize their repeatedly debunked conspiracy theories and set the groundwork to throw out legal votes and ignore election outcomes they do not like,’ the Democratic groups and leaders said in a statement. 

“‘It’s anti-American and Democrats are using every tool at our disposal – including taking Trump to court – to stop this illegal overreach that undermines our democracy,’ they added.”

Fox News: Top Dems sue Trump over executive order requiring proof of citizenship in federal elections

[Pilar Arias, 4/1/25]

Key Point: “The Democratic National Committee, the Democratic Governors Association, and Senate and House Democratic leaders filed a complaint of their own after the first lawsuit Monday afternoon was filed by Campaign Legal Center and the State Democracy Defenders Fund.

“Both lawsuits filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ask the court to block Trump’s order and declare it illegal.

“‘The Executive Order seeks to impose radical changes on how Americans register to vote, cast a ballot, and participate in our democracy—all of which threaten to disenfranchise lawful voters and none of which is legal,’ the Democrats’ lawsuit, filed by the Elias Law Group, alleges.”

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