Gov. Josh Shapiro swiftly condemned President Donald Trump’s most recent executive order as unconstitutional.
Mail-in voting is here to stay in Pennsylvania, despite President Donald Trump signing an executive order on Tuesday trying to prevent Americans from using the popular voting method.
Democrats across Pennsylvania were swift to condemn Trump’s brazen and unconstitutional order.
“President Trump can sign whatever the hell he wants to, but it won’t change the Constitution,” Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement posted to social media. “The authority to set our election rules belongs to the states — and as Governor, I will protect your right to vote. That includes your right to vote by mail.”
According to Democracy Docket, Trump’s executive order directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to work with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to create a list of voters eligible in each state.
It also states that the US Postal Service is only allowed to deliver mail-in ballots to those approved by the DHS or SSA, and those ballots must include a special barcode for tracking purposes.
Article 1 of the US Constitution clearly explains that the states—not the federal government—are in charge of conducting their own elections, and Trump’s order is expected to be challenged in court.
“The U.S. Constitution gives states — not the President — the authority to administer elections,” Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said in a statement.
He added, “voting by mail has been a safe and secure way for Pennsylvanians to cast their ballot. Each year, many millions of Pennsylvanians — Democrats, Republicans, and others — choose to vote for their elected officials using a mail ballot.”
Former Pennsylvania US House Rep. Conor Lamb, whom some suspect may be running for the US Senate in 2028, characterized DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin as an election denier who’ll happily enforce this order.
Mullin was recently confirmed as DHS secretary thanks to US Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pennsylvania) casting the deciding vote to advance Mullin’s nomination through the committee process.
“It will be challenged because it is an unconstitutional use of authority the President doesn’t have over who can vote by mail,” Lamb posted on X. “If Mullin valued his oath he would refuse to enforce this order or step down. But he is an election denier and will enforce it happily.”
