Pappas Helps Introduce Legislation to Protect Mail-in Voting Against Unlawful Trump Executive Order

Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01), co-chair of the Congressional Postal Caucus, helped introduce the Vote by Mail Protection Act in response to President Trump’s unlawful executive order to severely restrict mail-in voting. This legislation would invalidate the order and prohibit federal agencies from using taxpayer funds to implement it, protecting the ability of Americans to vote by mail.

“Voting by mail is a safe and effective way to cast a ballot and has been for over a century. President Trump is attempting to undermine states’ rights to run their own elections, tamper with the independence of the U.S. Postal Service, and disenfranchise Americans. Congress needs to stand up for their constituents and their fundamental right to vote,” said Congressman Pappas. “This legislation would nullify President Trump’s unlawful executive order to protect mail-in voting for seniors, disabled Americans, overseas service members, and all those who use it to ensure their voice is heard. I’ll always stand up for free and fair elections and Granite Staters’ ability to cast their ballot whether it be in-person or by mail.”

President Trump's executive order, signed on March 29, directs the Department of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Social Security Administration and state governments, to compile lists of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state and requires the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to deliver ballots only to voters whose names appear on those lists. This order poses a significant threat to the millions of citizens who depend on mail-in ballots to participate in the democratic process of voting, and it establishes a dangerous precedent for political interference in the operations of USPS.

Each individual state has constitutional power to regulate federal elections within its own state. The executive order attempts to transfer control over voting eligibility and mail-in voting regulations to the Executive Branch. It also forces the non-partisan, independent USPS to exceed its traditional public service mission by directing the agency to determine which mail-in votes will be counted and refuse the delivery of any ballot cast by otherwise eligible voters if they are not named on newly created federal voter lists.

The Vote by Mail Protection Act is endorsed by Public Citizen, the National Association of Letter Carriers, the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, and the National Association of Postal Supervisors.

Pappas helped introduce this legislation alongside Rep. Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Ranking Member of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, Rep. Robert Garcia (CA-42), Congressional Postal Caucus Co-Chair Rep. Nikki Budzinski (IL-13), Rep. Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), and Rep. James Walkinshaw (VA-11). Full text of the Vote by Mail Protection Act is here.

Pappas and Budzinski led 101 members demanding that President Trump rescind his unconstitutional executive order that would effectively limit vote-by-mail. The lawmakers raised concerns about the feasibility of the order and the negative consequences it could have for postal employees, as well as the timeliness of mail delivery.