Attorney General Kwame Raoul Joins States in Lawsuit Challenging Trump Election Executive Order

CHICAGO — Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul and a coalition of 24 states filed a lawsuit Friday challenging a presidential executive order they say unlawfully interferes with state authority over elections and could restrict access to voting. The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts, argues the order attempts to create a federal voter list and limit mail ballot distribution to those on it, which the states say exceeds executive authority and conflicts with state election laws. Raoul said the order would disrupt election administration and disenfranchise eligible voters by forcing changes to voter registration and vote by mail systems on a compressed timeline ahead of the 2026 general election. The coalition asks the court to block enforcement of the order, arguing that the Constitution assigns states primary responsibility for administering elections and that only Congress can set federal election procedures.