| HARRIS COUNTY — Harris County Attorney Abbie Kamin joined more than 100 current and former state and local election officials, local governments, and election experts from across the country in an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to block the Trump Administration’s overreaching executive order that would impose sweeping federal mandates on local election administration. The federal executive order at issue would impose sweeping federal mandates on election administration, including the creation of federal voting lists and directing the U.S. Postal Service to restrict transmission of certain mail ballots. The brief argues that the executive order is unconstitutional and is already causing confusion and administrative burden for local election administrators across the country, as preparations for the 2026 midterm election are underway. “We are committed to protecting every eligible Harris County voter’s right to cast a ballot—that starts with defending the integrity of how elections are administered,” said County Attorney Abbie Kamin. “The Trump Administration’s unconstitutional interference and federal overreach in local election processes is not only unlawful—it puts voters from all walks of life at risk of disenfranchisement. Our office will always stand on the side of the law and of the people of Harris County.” “State and local election officials know best how to run elections, and they have successfully administered past elections under unprecedented challenges,” said Executive Director David Becker of the Center for Election Innovation & Research, an election organization that signed on to the amicus brief. “The recent executive order is unconstitutional and, worse, would make our elections more chaotic and less secure. I have every confidence that the courts will reject the White House’s attempt to nationalize elections, as they did with his first, now-blocked executive order. Election policy is best made in the states, not in Washington." “Our democracy depends on free and fair elections the public can trust,” Kamin added. “This executive order is yet another attempt by the Trump Administration to undermine that trust.” |