Nevada leads lawsuit against Trump administration over election executive order
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford and Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar joined several attorneys general in a lawsuit against the Trump administration over an executive order, claiming it is attempting to implement a system of 'unlawful federal overreach on elections.'
Ford, along with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, is co-leading the coalition of 19 attorneys general in a lawsuit filed against President Donald Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the federal Election Assistance Commission and others.
The lawsuit is attempting to block a recent executive order from the Trump administration signed on March 25, that attempts to impose restrictions on election administration. The lawsuit said that the power to regulate elections is reserved to the states and Congress; therefore, the executive order goes beyond the scope of presidential power and is violative of the separation of powers.
The attorneys general are asking the court to block the challenged provisions of the Elections Executive Order and declare them unconstitutional and void. The suit claims that the provisions of the order will cause imminent and irreparable harm to the states.
The challenged provisions in the lawsuit include:
Mandating Proof of Citizenship: Forces the Election Assistance Commission to require documentary proof of citizenship for federal voter registration, despite Congress never imposing such a requirement.
State Agency Control: Orders state-designated federal voter registration agencies to verify citizenship before providing registration forms, unlawfully demanding the use of state resources.
Restricting Mail-In Ballots: Requires states to reject absentee and mail-in ballots received after Election Day, overriding state laws that allow counting of ballots cast by Election Day.
Targeting Military & Overseas Voters: Demands proof of citizenship and eligibility for military and overseas voters, despite federal law not requiring them to provide such proof.
Threatening Federal Funding: Seeks to withhold federal funds from states for noncompliance, violating constitutional principles of state sovereignty and separation of powers.
'The Trump administration tried to illegally seize power from the states and Congress by interfering in elections,' Ford said. 'Its action infringes on Nevada's sovereignty and is an unprecedented federal power grab; and I will not stand for it. Our state elections are free, fair and safe, and Secretary Aguilar has done a phenomenal job in ensuring they remain so. That is why I am one of the leads on this lawsuit — to protect our sovereignty and to protect our democracy.'
Elections-EO-Complaint-As-FiledDownload
AG Ford and California Attorney General Rob Bonta are leading this litigation, and are joined by attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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