Attorney General Anne Lopez of Hawai'i has partnered with a group of 19 attorneys general to initiate legal action against President Donald J. Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, and other officials from the Trump Administration. The lawsuit challenges Executive Order No. 14248, known as the Elections Executive Order, which is intended to implement widespread voting restrictions across the nation.
The executive order includes measures that seek to enforce state election officials to require documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and attempts to alter established procedures for ballot counting. The lawsuit argues that these actions exceed the president's constitutional powers, as the authority to regulate elections is specifically reserved for the states and Congress, not the executive branch.
The legal action has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. The coalition of attorneys general is requesting the court to declare the controversial provisions of the Elections Executive Order as unconstitutional and to block their enforcement.
"The Elections Executive Order intrudes on Congress’ and the states’ power over elections," stated Attorney General Anne Lopez. "This unlawful effort to usurp election authority will irreparably harm the states and interfere with the lawful exercise of the right to vote."
Hawai'i's involvement in the lawsuit is led by Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day and Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes. Other states joining this litigation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin, with leadership from California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford.
A copy of the complaint is available for public viewing.