We’re suing to protect elections

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Lawsuit Challenging Executive Order on Elections

The Brennan Center and other voting rights groups filed a lawsuit this week against an executive order that amounts to a multifront assault on the election system. If implemented, it threatens to disenfranchise millions of American citizens, compromise the privacy of sensitive voter data, and disrupt election administration nationwide. But the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to regulate elections, not the president. Our new explainer details what’s in the order and how these plans would violate various federal laws.

One of the order’s directives tries to force an independent bipartisan federal agency to require Americans to produce a passport or other citizenship document to register to vote. It comes as Congress considers the SAVE Act, which pushes a similar “show-your-papers” requirement for voter registration that would block 21 million American citizens from voting. Hardest hit would be younger Americans, people of color, and married women who have changed their names. You can help win the fight against this voter suppression bid: Contact your representatives in Congress and demand that they reject the SAVE Act.

A panel of Brennan Center experts discussed the implications of these attacks on the freedom to vote and the legal battles against them. Watch on YouTube >>

The Case Against Show-Your-Papers Rules

New Hampshire served as a stark preview of the toll the SAVE Act could take on voters if enacted. Last month, the state held its first elections since it implemented a law requiring documents like birth certificates and passports to register to vote. Eligible voters were turned away from the polls due to the policy, and while some returned to cast their ballots, others did not. The significant roadblocks some New Hampshire voters experienced are yet more proof that the SAVE Act must never become law.

Using AI to Quash Dissent

Last month, immigration agents arrested a Columbia University student who had led pro-Palestinian protests on campus, claiming that his student visa and green card had been revoked. The chances are high that the administration will continue going after student protesters, and a new State Department initiative that uses artificial intelligence to scrape social media for evidence of people’s political views may help them identify new targets. A Brennan Center analysis warns that the kind of broad, error-prone social media monitoring enabled by the initiative will have enormous First Amendment consequences.

Keeping Elections Safe

The 2024 election unfolded safely and smoothly despite at least 227 bomb threats targeting polling places, election offices, and tabulation centers on and after Election Day. This was possible only thanks to the close collaboration between election officials and law enforcement. With elections likely to remain targeted, it will be vital to continue building on coordinated election security efforts in the years ahead.