Mail-in voting: Trump's executive order faces legal challenges

President Trump signed an executive order expanding federal authority over mail-in voting and proposing to withhold federal funds from noncompliant states; state election officials and legal experts have called the directive legally invalid and several have pledged lawsuits.

President Trump signed an executive order that would expand federal authority over elections and include withholding federal funds from jurisdictions that do not comply. The move follows an earlier, similar executive order that courts rejected. Election experts and Democratic state election officials have described the new directive as legally invalid. Officials in Arizona and Oregon and a Democratic election lawyer have pledged legal challenges. Key facts: - The president signed an executive order granting broader federal control over elections and proposing to withhold federal funds from noncompliant states. - The White House did not publish new evidence supporting the order’s underlying claims, according to reporting. - Election experts and Democratic state election officials called the directive legally invalid. - Officials in Arizona and Oregon pledged to fight the order in court, and Democratic lawyer Marc Elias vowed to file a lawsuit. Summary: The directive has prompted immediate rejection from election officials and legal experts and is expected to be tested through court challenges. Undetermined at this time.