President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aiming to create a national voter eligibility list and restrict mail ballots, drawing immediate legal challenges from election experts and Democratic officials. The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to compile a “state citizenship list” using federal databases and bars the USPS from processing ballots of individuals not on the list. Critics argue the move oversteps constitutional boundaries, as elections are primarily state-administered.

Legal challenges are already mounting. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes called the order “a big, giant waste of time,” while Oregon officials vowed to sue. Election lawyer Marc Elias pledged to file a lawsuit, citing constitutional limits on federal election interference. The Brennan Center’s Sean Morales-Doyle stated, “The president doesn’t have any authority to write the rules that govern our elections.”

Trump’s push follows stalled efforts to pass restrictive mail voting legislation in Congress. The administration has also struggled to access state voter rolls, with only 12 states complying with Justice Department requests. Experts warn a national list would quickly become outdated due to daily voter file updates.

The order reflects Trump’s ongoing fixation on mail voting, despite lack of evidence for widespread fraud. During the 2024 election, 37% of Democrats voted by mail versus 24% of Republicans, per MIT data. Trump himself cast a mail ballot in Florida earlier this month. The USPS is reviewing compliance, though officials have not commented on potential operational changes.