By Matthew Reichbach
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez announced Friday that he joined other attorneys general in suing the Donald Trump administration over an executive order that seeks to make sweeping changes to the way states run elections.
The lawsuit filed by Torrez and 18 other attorneys general names Trump, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, the Federal Election Commission and other members of the Trump administration.
Torrez called the executive order “an unconstitutional power grab that threatens the very foundation of our democracy.”
“The President has no authority to rewrite state election laws or impose arbitrary barriers to voting,” Torrez continued. “New Mexico will not stand by while the federal government oversteps its bounds and undermines the right of every eligible voter to have their voice heard. We are taking this fight to court to protect the integrity of our elections and defend the fundamental principles of our democracy.”
When Trump issued the executive order, a spokesman for Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver said legal action could be on the table.
Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver, the top election official in the state, said the executive order “is blatant overreach by the federal government into our country’s decentralized system of voting.”
She said it would “weaken our elections and make it harder for eligible voters to make their voices heard.”
She thanked Torrez for joining in the lawsuit and said she would support the effort in any way possible.
Trump has promoted unfounded conspiracy theories about voting irregularities in his time as a politician.
The lawsuit challenges many portions of the Trump executive order, including a threat to withhold federal funding if the states do not comply with the executive order.
“In so doing, the Elections Executive Order seeks to control Plaintiff States’ exercise of their sovereign powers through raw Executive domination, contrary to the U.S. Constitution and its underlying principles of federalism and the separation of powers,” the press release said.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Nevada Attorney General Aaron Ford lead the lawsuit.
When will you ever get over the same old tired arguments? You need an ID to do just about everything in normal daily life, why are you against an ID to verify who’s boting?
You mean like the state of New Mexico has taken away any voice that is not Democrat by redistricting the whole state.
It’s clear that the very foundations of our democracy are at stake and I’m heartened to see NM AG Torres standing up for our rights and principles.
trump would not have to do this if everyone were to actually posses a valid Id, and be willing to prove they actually are legally allowed to vote.
In a few weeks New Mexican will be required to provide a Real ID to take a plane trip, why would a true American citizen be hesitant to provide your Real ID to vote. I believe your voice, your vote is way more important than taking a pleasure plane trip! When you drive to make your voice/vote known you need your Real ID to legally drive to the polling stations, what’s the big deal.
Ridiculous
What is wrong with you what President Trump wants to do
So what’s the problem with having to provide proof of citizenship to vote? Yep, you people just blindly follow California and all the other blue states without applying any logic or reasoning. Your knee jerk reaction is to automatically do the opposite of anything that requires common sense or is ln line with the centrist viewpoint.
This is ridiculous he is trying to make elections fair and voted for by real American citizens.
Voter Identification is not overreach. American Citizens should be the only voters voting in a United States election.
He wants to abolish early and mail
in voting. Citizens are the only people who can vote in a national election despite the lies and propaganda from the right saying otherwise.
Elections already require voter identification. Burdensome identification requirements is definitely overreach.
Typical New Mexico corruption also common in other blue states. They are desperate to maintain a voter base of illiterates and government dependents. Illegals are perfect but they can’t vote if we enforce ID laws.
I am not an educated idiot but I know right from wrong. While voting in the 2016 election, yes, I’m a born and raised citizen of the United States of America, I witnessed a person coming out of a voting booth and then standing around in the voting area. I noticed him talking to a few people, not speaking english. He was acting rather confused so I just kept watching to see if he might need help. After a few minutes, he returned to another voting booth. I walked up to a worker and asked her about it and she told me to “Don’t worry about it.” Then I was confused. I was wondering if it was legal to vote more than once (maybe once in Mexican and once in English) in New Mexico.
Thank you, Attorney General Torrez for joining this lawsuit along with he 18 other attorney generals. I have worked a variety of NM state and local elections over the last 12 years, our voter ID system works, and they have been run exceptionally well. Elections are under each states purview.
Go President Trump
Yes, American citizens ARE the only voters voting. Propaganda falsely declares that “non-citizens are voting.” History, evidence, and data show otherwise. Be educated, not scared.