Oregon’s top elected officials reaffirmed their commitment on Monday to protect the state’s long‑standing mail‑ballot system after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed President Donald Trump’s executive order to proceed. Governor Tina Kotek, Secretary of State Tobias Read and Attorney General Dan Rayfield—all Democrats—condemned the order and vowed to pursue further litigation.
Federal order targets mail voting
In March, President Trump issued an executive order directing the United States Postal Service (USPS) to redesign ballot envelopes and to require state election officials to provide the USPS with lists of voters’ names and addresses. Under the rule, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver ballots to any voter not on the supplied list, effectively limiting mail voting.
Legal battles continue
Oregon joined 23 other states led by Democratic officials in filing a lawsuit to block the order. A federal district judge in Massachusetts granted a preliminary injunction in early August, halting the rule’s implementation. However, the USPS issued a final rule on Friday outlining how it would enforce the order, and the Supreme Court issued an unsigned emergency docket opinion on Monday, stating that the states had sued too early. The Court did not address the constitutionality of the order.
State officials respond
Read emphasized that Oregon’s elections remain “secure, accurate and fair” and that the state will proceed with mail voting as planned in November, free from “illegal federal interference.” He added that the attorney general’s office would challenge the order in court when appropriate.
Attorney General Rayfield called the Supreme Court decision a “temporary setback” and said he would immediately file suit to block any USPS actions that interfere with mail voting. “The right to vote is sacred, and Oregonians know that voting by mail is safe, secure and accurate,” he said. “We’re not going to let Donald Trump interfere in our elections — and we’re certainly not going to let him decide who gets a ballot and who doesn’t.”
Governor Kotek reiterated that states have the constitutional responsibility to run elections. She described the President’s directive as “unconstitutional and an assault on our democracy” and warned that it is designed to silence voters. “Oregon has been conducting elections by mail‑in voting safely and securely for decades. My message to the President is clear: keep your hands off our elections,” she said.
Oregon’s mail‑ballot tradition
For more than 25 years, Oregon has relied exclusively on mail voting, achieving some of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation. The Secretary of State’s office continues to provide resources on voter registration, mail‑in ballot requests and election security.
What’s next?
The state’s legal team is expected to file additional motions in the coming weeks, targeting the USPS rule and any further federal actions that could impede mail voting. Oregon officials say they will remain vigilant to ensure that every eligible voter can cast a ballot without undue federal obstruction.
Original reporting: Homepage – Lookout Eugene-Springfield — read the source article.
