Cantwell Joins Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day

08.06.26 Cantwell Joins Senate Democrats in Demanding Trump Administration Stop Illegal Voter Roll Purges Before Election Day Federal law Cantwell cosponsored protects voter rolls from mass purges close in time to an election WASHINGTON, D.C. – With midterm elections now 89 days away, and early voting in some states beginning in just 44 days, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), a member of Senate Democrats’ task force on election interference, today joined 27 of her Senate colleagues in demanding the Trump Administration adhere to the National Voter Registration Act’s (NVRA) “quiet period” that prohibits systematic voter purges within 90 days of an election, pushing back against the Administration’s ongoing voter suppression efforts. In a letter to Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin, the senators reminded the Trump Administration to adhere to the law and refrain from supporting, assisting, or coercing states into conducting mass voter purges prior to the November midterm elections. The Trump Administration has demanded voter information from all 50 states, losing 20 lawsuits and counting in the process, and a separate court has barred it from misusing federal databases in illegal attempts to remove voters from state voter rolls. In July, President Donald Trump and Secretary Mullin escalated these attacks as part of their ongoing efforts to force states to purge voters ahead of the November general election in a presidential speech and subsequent Department of Homeland Security (DHS) press conference. The senators’ letter copies the chief election officers for all 50 states to send a strong signal that Congress is paying close attention to these existing protections in federal law. “We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90 day ‘quiet period’ mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA),” wrote the senators. “Under the NVRA, election officials are supposed to complete any program for ‘systematically’ removing ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be (and in many cases have been) removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities.” As a freshman Member of the House, then-Rep. Cantwell was an original cosponsor of the NVRA – which was written and led by Washington state’s late Rep. Al Swift (D-WA, 02) – and voting to pass it was among her very first votes in Congress. The senators warned that federal courts have ruled against attempted voter purges that fail to comply with the NVRA’s “quiet period” by attempting mass voter purges. “In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the ‘quiet period,’ including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters,” continued the senators. “Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment.” The senators reiterated that use of the DHS’ modified SAVE program, already blocked by federal courts for bulk voter list analysis purposes, would be considered illegal activity in the next 90 days, and condemned Mullin’s continued push to advance the program. They also urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to abandon any efforts to obtain state voter rolls, highlighting the agency has lost every federal court case so far. “We must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the ‘quiet period’ are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings,” wrote the senators. “The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls.” The senators requested the agencies provide confirmation that they will comply with the NVRA by August 7 to prevent any voter suppression prior to Election Day. In addition to Sen. Cantwell, the letter was led by U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and signed by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), and U.S. Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Mark Warner (D-VA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR). Sen. Cantwell has been a stalwart defender against overreach of the Trump administration into our elections: On July 29, she wrote to Blanche, Mullin, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding to know whether the Trump administration plans to illegally deploy armed federal law enforcement officers at polling sites during the November 2026 elections. On July 28, Sen. Cantwell sharply criticized the Trump administration’s request that the Supreme Court allow him to seize control of state-run elections and implement an anti-vote-by-mail executive order. Lower courts have repeatedly rejected the president’s arguments and stated that his executive order is unconstitutional. On July 2, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter to the Postmaster General about the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) proposed illegal rule to implement President Trump’s March 31 executive order to interfere with vote-by-mail. Sen. Cantwell’s letter specifically noted the recent decisions of multiple federal courts that found Trump’s executive order unconstitutional and enjoined the USPS from implementing the proposed rule – including in separate cases brought by the State of Washington with other states and the NAACP – and demanded the USPS comply with those court orders. On June 29, she celebrated the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee against an effort to stop states from counting mail-in ballots that are received after Election Day, even if they’ve been postmarked in time. The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington. On June 24, Sen. Cantwell co-sponsored the Right To Vote Act , legislation to create the first-ever affirmative federal voting rights guarantee for all eligible citizens. On June 24, she also denounced President Trump’s announcement that he would not sign the 21 st Century Road to Housing Act – an overwhelmingly popular, bipartisan bill that passed both the House and Senate earlier in the week and would have increased housing supply and brought down housing costs – until Congress passes the SAVE America Act. That legislation, which Trump has repeatedly demanded, would eliminate vote-by-mail and impose onerous new restrictions on voting and registering to vote. It would disenfranchise millions of Americans in the name of a voter fraud “crisis” that, even by the standards of the right-wing Heritage Foundation, straightforwardly does not exist . President Trump again demanded Congress pass the restrictive bill following the Supreme Court’s ruling in Watson v. Republican National Committee . Despite President Trump’s refusal to sign the bipartisan housing bill, it became law on July 11, since he failed to act on the bill within the time period prescribed by the Constitution after Congress sent him the legislation. On June 23, she joined the entire Democratic Caucus in sending a letter to the USPS demanding the USPS abandon attempts to restrict voting by mail called for by President Trump in an illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots. On June 23, she also delivered a speech on the Senate floor calling out the Trump Administration’s war on mail-in voting as the latest frontier in a long history of voter disenfranchisement in the United States. On June 17, she joined several of her Senate Democratic colleagues for a spotlight forum highlighting President Trump’s illegal overreach into our free and fair elections. On June 8, she joined 23 of her Senate colleagues in demanding answers over the Trump Administration’s decision to remove the most recent version of the Federal Prosecution of Election Offenses manual from DOJ’s website without explanation. On April 29, she was tapped by Majority Leader Schumer to join a task force of senators defending our elections from interference. On April 23, she joined colleagues in introducing the Absentee and Mail Voter Protection Act to protect the right to vote by mail and block President Trump’s illegal and unconstitutional March 31 executive order attacking mail and absentee ballots. On April 22, she sent a letter to the USPS warning the agency against complying with the executive order, which would undermine mail-in voting. On April 1, after the executive order on mail-in voting was announced, she issued a statement in opposition. On March 18, she convened a group of current and former elected officials and representatives of nonpartisan voter advocacy groups for a virtual press conference on defending voter access. Video of that entire virtual press conference is HERE ; video of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE ; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s statement is HERE . On March 15, she issued a snapshot report showing that the SAVE America Act – the voter suppression bill President Trump has continued to demand Congress pass – would cost Washington state taxpayers more than $35 million this year alone. On Feb. 24, Sen. Cantwell invited Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs as her guest to President Trump’s State of the Union address to draw attention to the issue . On Feb. 20, she convened local leaders in Seattle for a press conference urging Washingtonians to fight back against these proposed new burdens to voting. On Feb. 19, she gathered in Vancouver with the Clark County Auditor Greg Kimsey and local chapter heads of the League of Women Voters and the NAACP for a press conference on how this bill would disenfranchise voters. Also on Feb. 19, she released a snapshot report showing who in Washington would face undue hurdles to voting if the SAVE America Act were signed into law. The report shows that certain populations – including people who live in rural areas, women who changed their name after marriage, and people who recently moved – would face additional, cumbersome burdens to prove their citizenship. On Feb. 5, she appeared on MSNOW’s Morning Joe to push back against the Trump administration’s heightened efforts to interfere in state-run elections and collect private data on American voters. Video of Sen. Cantwell’s appearance is HERE ; a transcript is HERE . On Jan. 29, Sen. Cantwell joined Senate colleagues in a letter to then-Attorney General Pam Bondi, pushing DOJ to stop its unlawful pressure campaign to coerce dozens of states into providing the Trump Administration their voter rolls, which include voters’ personally identifiable information. DOJ has sued 24 states – including Washington state – and the District of Columbia demanding the personal information of their voters. On Jan. 15, she joined Senate colleagues in a letter to USPS Postmaster General David Steiner raising concerns with recent developments affecting postmark practices. Right before the holiday season, USPS changed its postmark practices, which could have significant impacts on voters nationwide and in Washington state – including rural voters, military and overseas voters, and many others who rely on rely on the mail to safely and securely cast their ballot. On Jan. 9, she joined 13 Senate colleagues in filing an amicus brief before the Supreme Court in the case Watson v. Republican National Committee . The case, brought by the Republican National Committee, threatened the election administration practices of states like Washington that permit mail ballots that are postmarked by Election Day to be counted when they are received within a certain number of days after Election Day. Today’s full letter is available here and below: Dear Acting Attorney General Blanche and Secretary Mullin: The 2026 general election will be held on Tuesday, November 3, less than 90 days away. We are writing to remind you that any efforts directing states to conduct mass voter purges, including by using the deeply flawed Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to purge voter rolls, would violate the 90-day “quiet period” mandated by the National Voter Registration Act of 1993 (NVRA). This long-standing prohibition includes providing states with any incomplete and unverifiable voter roll analysis conducted by the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) SAVE program, the use of which has also been enjoined by a D.C. federal district court. Relatedly, in light of this prohibition, the Department of Justice (DOJ) should drop its ongoing litigation to compel states to provide access to their voter registration lists and acquiesce to unlawful federal list maintenance. While we have previously expressed our concern about these tactics, we remind you of the settled law protecting voters in the lead up to an election and urge you to cease these efforts immediately. Under the NVRA, election officials are required to complete any systematic removal of ineligible voters 90 days before Election Day. This statutory protection was included to protect eligible voters who may be — and in many cases have been —erroneously removed as part of state voter list maintenance activities. In various lawsuits, federal courts have ruled against states that attempted systemwide voter list removals during the “quiet period,” including those made under the pretext of removing noncitizen voters. Outside the 90-day quiet period, voter list maintenance is an important function, but noncitizen voting remains extremely rare. Federal law addresses these incidents through criminal penalties, including financial penalties and imprisonment. Over the last year, the demonstrated inaccuracies of DHS’s modified SAVE program have been proven to result in the removal of eligible voters from the voter rolls prior to the “quiet period.” On June 22, 2026, following several months of litigation in League of Women Voters v. Department of Homeland Security, a D.C. federal district court set aside and vacated the 2025 modified SAVE program, finding it was “contrary to law, arbitrary and capricious, in excess of statutory authority, and without observance of procedure required by law.” The court ordered DHS to undo the newly established bulk upload feature and dismantle its connection to sensitive Social Security Administration data. Given this ruling, Secretary Mullin’s continued promotion of the SAVE program for voter list maintenance purposes during a July 17, 2026, press conference was inappropriate, as were his unsupported claims that multiple states have significant noncitizen voter registrations. Even more alarmingly, DHS is attempting to condition Homeland Security Grant Program funds that protect Americans from disasters and terrorist attacks on use of the SAVE program. Therefore, we must re-emphasize that current use of the SAVE program for list maintenance is illegal, and efforts to coerce states to conduct mass voter purges during the “quiet period” are also illegal under the NVRA, despite DOJ arguments to the contrary in recent court filings. The DOJ should also drop its litigation to obtain state voter rolls and its continued threats to prosecute election officials. As you know, DOJ has lost every federal case seeking to obtain states’ unredacted voter lists so far. We remain deeply opposed to the waste of taxpayer funds and attacks on state election officials involved with DOJ’s continued attempts to compel states to hand over unredacted voter rolls. The Trump Administration has done nothing to address concerns that this is all in service of an effort to create a nationwide voter file to be shared across the Executive Branch — and possibly with other unauthorized, partisan actors. At an absolute minimum, DOJ must abstain from any unlawful attempts to pressure states into conducting large-scale voter purges during the 90-day “quiet period.” Please confirm your agencies will comply with the NVRA, and any relevant court orders, no later than August 7, 2026. Any continued actions that may directly or indirectly coerce or assist states in conducting sweeping voter purges that violate federal law and infringe on Americans’ right to vote are unacceptable. Sincerely, Print Email Tweet Next Article Previous Article