Since the beginning of his second term, President Trump and his administration have renewed their efforts to undermine Americans’ freedom to vote.
The current administration has sought to seize voter data from the states, unlawfully change the way our elections are run, and attack voting rights.
Campaign Legal Center (CLC) is pushing back on these efforts on behalf of the American people. Through litigation, advocacy and work with local and national partners and coalitions, CLC is at the forefront of stopping these anti-voter actions, because any attempt to limit the freedom to vote is an attempt to silence American voters.
Here is how CLC has taken action to protect voters.
Taking Legal Action to Protect Sensitive Voter Information
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has sued several states to obtain their voters’ personal, private information.
This overreach by the federal government is an attempt to retrieve voter data and exert control over our elections even though the Constitution gives the power to regulate and administer elections to the states or Congress.
The threat to voters is compounded by recent reporting indicating that this information — which includes highly sensitive data beyond the scope of typical public voter information — could be turned over to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to be used for immigration enforcement or to facilitate improperly removing eligible voters from the rolls.
This is especially concerning in light of recent efforts by DHS to vastly expand an existing federal program to build a national citizenship database using outdated and unreliable data sources.
Our elections have numerous safeguards in place that are regularly analyzed and updated to make sure only U.S. citizens participate — and election officials take this responsibility seriously. Federal law includes privacy protections to ensure Americans’ personal data is not improperly shared or misused.
The DOJ’s overreach will not make our elections any safer or more secure; it simply violates voters’ privacy and will discourage voters from participating in the democratic process.
On behalf of the League of Women Voters in Maine and New York State, Campaign Legal Center, alongside the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, has filed motions to intervene in the lawsuits in Maine and New York.
If the courts grant these motions to intervene, the League of Women Voters in Maine and New York State will be parties to these lawsuits.
Suing to Prevent an Unlawful Executive Order on Elections from Taking Effect
When the president signed an executive order on March 25, 2025, unlawfully attempting to direct several federal agencies to change the rules for federal elections and implement unnecessary barriers to registering to vote, we sued.
Among its unlawful provisions, the executive order aims to direct the Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to require new and burdensome documentary proof of citizenship on the federal voter registration form.
This means anyone using that form to register to vote would have to present extra evidence of their U.S. citizenship, like a passport or birth certificate — and places similar burdens on military and overseas voters, as well.
The executive order also attempts to override laws in 16 states that allow election officials to count mail ballots cast and postmarked by Election Day, but received before those states’ deadlines — which are after Election Day.
Only Congress — not the president — has the power to pass laws that set national voting standards and override state laws governing federal elections. The Constitution does not give the president any role in setting election rules.
On behalf of the League of United Latin American Citizens, Secure Families Initiative, and the Arizona Students’ Association, we won a court order that temporarily halts a key provision of this illegal and unconstitutional plan while litigation continues. We are continuing to fight in court to make that win permanent and block these unlawful provisions ever taking effect.
Opposing Burdensome and Unnecessary Voter Registration Documentation
When the America First Legal Foundation (AFLF) asked the EAC to require voter registration applicants to provide burdensome documentation, CLC and Democracy Defenders Fund submitted a public comment opposing this rule change.
The documentation requirements proposed by AFLF’s request exactly mirrors those in President Trump’s unlawful March 2025 executive order and would imposes substantial and unnecessary burdens on U.S. citizens registering to vote.
Even though CLC and our partners already successfully halted this action when we sued over the president’s executive order, the Trump administration’s allies are trying yet another avenue to push this harmful policy through.
In our formal comment to the EAC, we outlined how these documentation requirements are inconsistent with federal law and would make it harder for millions of American citizens to access the ballot box.
Upholding a Foundational Principle of American Democracy
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship. The order would apply to children born to people who are in the country without authorization or who hold work, student or tourist visas.
But the 14th Amendment is clear: Children born in the United States are granted birthright citizenship — no matter who their parents are.
Citizenship is a democracy issue, which is why CLC submitted a brief on behalf of Secure Families Initiative in State of Washington et al. v. Trump to urge the court to block Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to ban birthright citizenship.
What’s Next?
Campaign Legal Center and our partners won’t stop fighting to protect Americans from the Trump administration’s attempts to limit the freedom to vote. Voting should be accessible. Our laws and administration should promote participation in our democracy and instill trust in our elections.
With your support, Campaign Legal Center will continue our work to ensure that every voice can be heard and that every vote is counted.
