SALEM, Oregon — Oregon elections officials, Democratic lawmakers and voting rights advocates are mounting swift opposition to a new executive order from President Donald Trump, saying it would interfere with states’ authority to run elections and restrict access to vote-by-mail.

The order directs the Department of Homeland Security to create a national list of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state and would prohibit the U.S. Postal Service from mailing ballots to people not included on a state-approved voter list.

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read said the order conflicts with the Constitution, which gives states the authority to determine the “times, places and manner” of elections.

“I think it’s just another example of a desperate attempt to rig elections,” Read told KGW.

Read said county election officials — not the federal government — have long managed voter rolls and ballot distribution, a system Oregon has used exclusively for statewide elections since adopting vote-by-mail in the late 1990s.

“This is just about politics,” Read said. “It’s not about election security. It’s about a president who knows he is unpopular and is looking for every possible way to avoid the accountability represented by elections.”

Trump defended the order Tuesday, saying it is meant to protect voter integrity.

“If you don’t have honest voting, you can’t have really a nation,” Trump said.

Oregon Gov. Tina Kotek also criticized the order, calling it an attack on voting rights.

“Today, President Trump signed an executive order that represents a direct attack on the fundamental right of every American to cast their vote and have it counted,” Kotek said in a statement. “This order is not about election integrity — it is a massive and unconstitutional voter suppression effort.”

“Oregon has been a national leader in vote-by-mail for more than 25 years,” she added. “Our system works. It is trusted. And it has consistently produced strong voter participation because it makes voting more accessible, not less.”

“We will fight this order with every tool available to us in order to protect Oregon’s well-tested, fair electoral process,” Kotek said. “To every Oregonian: Your vote is safe, your voice matters, and I will not let this administration silence you.”

Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield signaled potential legal action, saying the state would challenge the order in court if necessary.

“We’ll use every legal tool available to us to fight this and protect Oregonians’ right to vote,” Rayfield said in a statement.

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., issued a sharper warning.

“My message to the White House is this: If you come for Oregon’s vote-by-mail, you’ll have hell to pay,” Wyden said.

U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas, D-Ore., also criticized the order.

“Trump is once again trying to attack our elections, this time going after mail-in voting,” Salinas said in a statement. “For 30 years, Oregon has conducted safe, fair and accurate elections via mail. In fact, the president himself voted by mail in Florida’s elections earlier this month.”

“This is Trump’s latest attempt at voter suppression, and it won’t hold up in court,” she added. “The Constitution is clear: Each state is responsible for running elections, and this executive order does not change that. No executive order will stop Oregonians from making their voices heard.”

Salinas said she joined U.S. Rep. Joe Morelle of New York, Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read and Marion County Clerk Bill Burgess on Monday to discuss efforts to protect voting rights and ensure secure, accessible elections ahead of the 2026 midterms. A recording of the discussion is available on her YouTube page.

Voting rights groups echoed those concerns. The League of Women Voters said the order represents an unconstitutional intrusion into state-run elections.

“The administration’s latest executive order is a direct attack not only on voters, but on how elections are run in this country,” the group said in a statement to KGW. “The Constitution is clear: Election administration is the responsibility of the states, not the executive branch.”

Local election officials also pushed back. Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey said his experience overseeing elections does not support claims of widespread voting by noncitizens. He said multiple studies and audits have shown no evidence of significant voter fraud linked to vote-by-mail.

“It’s pretty amazing that the guy who continues to vote by mail continues to think that vote-by-mail is bad for everyone else,” Kimsey said.

Kimsey encouraged voters with questions about their ballots or the process to contact their local elections office.

Under current law, counties in Oregon and nationwide are responsible for maintaining voter rolls and sending ballots to registered voters. Read said local clerks play a crucial role in safeguarding elections.

“These county clerks are the unsung heroes of democracy,” he said. “There is no role for the federal government here. It’s an overreach, pure politics, and unnecessary.”

Looking ahead to Oregon’s May 19 primary, Read urged voters to return their ballots as early as possible to ensure they are counted.