President Trump’s recent statement that he is considering an executive order to ban no-excuse mail-in voting has widely been seen as overreach by the federal government into elections, which are run by the 50 states. 

The president’s stated intention to prohibit mail-in voting nationwide through an executive order would likely conflict with Article I, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which assigns authority over the time, place and manner of federal elections to Congress. 

However, absent congressional action, the authority and responsibility to conduct elections remains with states. State legislatures have long been the appropriate bodies to determine how elections are conducted within their respective states.

Many states have adopted no-excuse mail-in ballots to expand access to the ballot box. The public has asked for this convenience and state legislatures have responded to give more voters a chance to have their voice heard legally through a secure, prescribed process. 

Pennsylvania’s legislators enacted no-excuse mail-in voting in 2019. Since then, the commonwealth has consistently worked with county election boards to improve the security and efficiency of elections with reliable, verified results, including the 2024 general election.

We believe that the principles of our Founding Fathers should be upheld—namely continuing to empower individual states to administer free, fair and secure elections.

Democracy Defense Project Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, PA