Michigan Joins Lawsuit Challenging Trump Executive Order That Would Restrict West Michigan Voter Access

Michigan Attorney General Files Lawsuit Over Federal Order That Would Undermine Mail Voting Rights

Michigan has joined a coalition of 24 attorneys general and governors in filing a lawsuit challenging President Trump's executive order that seeks to restrict voter eligibility and federalize control over mail-in ballots.

Attorney General Dana Nessel announced the lawsuit on April 3, 2026, arguing that the President lacks constitutional authority to impose changes to state electoral systems or procedures.

The executive order, signed on March 31, attempts to establish a national list of eligible voters and directs the U.S. Postal Service to transmit mail-in ballots only to individuals on that list. It also mandates that the USPS refuse to deliver voted ballots unless voters appear on its pre-cleared list.

Mail-in ballots are a safe and secure voting option that over 2.2 million Michiganders availed themselves to in the 2024 election, many who presumably used that choice to vote for this very President, Nessel said. Michigan voters overwhelmingly voted to expand absentee voting in 2018.

Michigan Voters Have Embraced Mail-In Voting

In 2018, Proposal 3 passed, amending the Michigan Constitution to allow citizens to vote by mail or secure a ballot drop box in every election.

This constitutional change has been embraced by West Michigan voters. Around 2.2 million citizens voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election, including military voters and those overseas.

More than 25 percent of all active registered Michigan voters, or over 1.8 million, have signed up to receive a mail-in ballot for every election.

The lawsuit argues that the President's order would require states to upend their election administration procedures and conduct statewide voter education weeks of primary elections and months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election.

Michigan State Leaders Defend Voting Rights

Governor Gretchen Whitmer defended Michigan's position in a statement:

The president's recent Executive Order to restrict voting rights violates the U.S. Constitution and the role states play running elections. Any attempt to federalize our elections or make it harder for Americans to cast their ballots is an attempt to take away Michiganders' constitutional right to vote. I won't let that happen.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson added:

If left unchecked, it will block millions of eligible American citizens from exercising their fundamental right to vote. It seems the president is determined to rule, not to govern, so we must now take this fight to the courts. I'm proud to stand with Attorney General Nessel and this coalition of States to protect voters, local clerks, and election workers from this blatant federal overreach.

The Legal Argument Against Federal Control

The attorneys general argue that the order would make states act contrary to their voter roll procedures, vote-by-mail systems, and local laws. They contend that the President does not have the authority to order changes to states' electoral systems or procedures.

The lawsuit claims the order also creates a shadow list system for voters, using threats of investigation to coerce states into disenfranchising voters missing from those lists.

Mail-in voting is also affected, as the order mandates that USPS refuses to deliver voted ballots unless the voters are on USPS' pre-cleared list. The AG says this is maintained outside the control of the states who administer federal elections.

The attorneys general say Trump's executive order would require states to conduct statewide voter education weeks of primary elections and months before the beginning of mail voting for the 2026 general election.

West Michigan Families Face Real Consequences

For West Michigan families who rely on mail-in voting, the stakes are high. With over 1.8 million Michigan voters registered to receive automatic mail-in ballots, any federal attempt to restrict this voting method directly impacts households across Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Muskegon, Holland, and Battle Creek.

The lawsuit joins other Democratic-led states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Washington DC, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and Governor of Pennsylvania.

Election law experts have already questioned the constitutionality of the order. Regardless of whether any of this could be implemented for 2026 elections, Michigan state officials say they must challenge federal overreach that threatens local voting rights.

The lawsuit will proceed in federal court, with Michigan AG Nessel arguing that the President's executive order violates both the U.S. Constitution and the role that states play in administering elections.