Trump’s mail-in voting executive order faces pushback from N.J. leaders

President Donald Trump signed an executive order this week that would overhaul mail-in voting regulations — but Gov. Mikie Sherrill has already declared his effort illegal, and it faces a legal challenge. 

Trump’s executive order would, among other changes, create a list of citizens to determine voting eligibility and bar the U.S. Postal Service from transmitting mail-in ballots from people not on that list. The president has, without evidence, alleged that mail-in voting allows for widespread voter fraud, and he’s argued the executive order will protect the country’s election system.

In a statement, Sherrill called the order unconstitutional and reaffirmed that the state’s voting system is secure.

“The Constitution is clear: states run elections, not the federal government. New Jersey has administered safe, secure, and accessible voting for generations,” Sherrill said. “Our vote-by-mail system works. Millions of New Jerseyans — Republicans, Democrats, and unaffiliated voters alike — rely on it. The president himself has cast ballots by mail. This order does nothing to strengthen election integrity and is designed to make it harder for eligible citizens to vote.”

Trump’s order would also direct the attorney general to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of state election officials who issue ballots to ineligible voters.

Democrats have already sued over the order. The Constitution grants the states and Congress the authority to set election laws.

The Sherrill administration does not expect the executive order to affect this month’s special general election in New Jersey’s 11th congressional district.

In a statement to the New Jersey Globe, Lt. Gov. and Secretary of State Dale Caldwell said voters should look to return their mail-in ballots via ballot drop boxes or in person at their county board of elections.

“As Secretary of State, I will continue to work with the Division of Elections to ensure that every eligible voter is able to participate in New Jersey’s free, fair, and secure elections,” he said. “Every voter has 3 ways to vote in New Jersey’s elections: in-person on Election Day, in-person during the early voting period, or using a mail-in ballot returned by 8 pm on Election Day.”

The League of Women Voters also criticized the order in a statement.

“Further, the EO targets election officials for prosecution. The federal government should support election administrators — not place them under heightened threat to navigate unnecessarily complex systems.”

A federal judge blocked another of Trump’s executive orders from taking effect last year — that order would have required proof of citizenship before voting and targeted states that accepted mail-in ballots after Election Day, like New Jersey.