1. United States
  2. Wash.
  3. Letter

Jailing State Election Officials Is a Red Line. Act Now.

To: Rep. Duerr, Rep. Kloba, Rep. DelBene, Pres. Trump, Sen. Cantwell, Sen. Stanford, Sen. Murray, Gov. Ferguson

From: A verified voter in Bothell, WA

July 17

Homeland Security Secretary Mullin has publicly threatened state election officials with criminal prosecution if they refuse to hand their voter rolls over to the federal SAVE database, and Assistant Attorney General Dhillon has sent similar threats to all 50 states and D.C. This follows the President's address laying groundwork to contest the 2026 midterms. The Constitution is not ambiguous here. States administer elections. Congress may set uniform rules by law. The executive branch has no role in running elections and no authority to commandeer state voter rolls or seize ballots. A president cannot manufacture powers the Constitution denies him by threatening to imprison the officials who say no. This is not a partisan concern. Every member of Congress, from either party, is elected through state-run elections. If the executive branch can jail the officials who administer your election, it can decide your election. I ask you to: 1. Publicly condemn these threats and affirm, on the record, that states have exclusive constitutional authority to administer elections. 2. Open immediate oversight hearings into DHS and DOJ's demands on state election officials, including the Dhillon letters. 3. Support legislation shielding state and local election officials from federal prosecution or retaliation for refusing unlawful demands. State officials who refuse these orders are not defying the Constitution. They are defending it. Congress should stand behind them, before the midterms, not after. Thank you for your attention to this urgent matter.

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