Virginia AG Vows to Sue Trump Over Election Order

Jay Jones says the president's executive order is illegal and undermines secure voting in the state.

Apr. 2, 2026 at 9:51pm

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A quiet, cinematic painting of an empty government office with a lone desk and chair bathed in warm, diagonal sunlight and deep shadows, conceptually representing the political tensions over election rules.The legal battle over the president's executive order on federal elections in Virginia exposes deep partisan divides over voting rights and election integrity.Richmond Today

Virginia Attorney General Jay Jones says he will challenge President Donald Trump's recent executive order that could reshape federal elections, calling the order illegal and a violation of the rule of law. The order would require the federal government to create a list of eligible voters over 18 and U.S. citizens, and impose new restrictions on mail-in and absentee ballots. Jones argues Virginia already has safe and secure elections, while a Republican state senator supports the president's order.

Why it matters

This legal battle over the president's executive order highlights the ongoing partisan divide over election integrity and voting access, with Democrats arguing the order undermines secure elections and Republicans claiming it's necessary to protect the integrity of the electoral process.

The details

Trump's executive order would require the federal government to make a list of eligible voters who are over 18 and are U.S. citizens for states ahead of a federal election. It would also require mail-in and absentee balloters transmitted by the United States Postal Service to be in specific envelopes, have a barcode for tracking, and the postal service would only be allowed to send those types of ballots to voters enrolled in a state-specific list.

  • The executive order was issued by President Trump in April 2026.

The players

Jay Jones

The Attorney General of Virginia who says he will challenge President Trump's executive order in court.

Donald Trump

The former President of the United States who issued the executive order in question.

Glen Sturtevant

A Republican state senator from Virginia who supports President Trump's executive order.

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What they’re saying

“The President continues to overreach, to overstep, to ignore the law, to ignore commonly held tradition and custom in service of a vision that does not align with what we do here in Virginia and in this country as it relates to the rule of law.”

— Jay Jones, Virginia Attorney General

“And it's just common sense that we would make sure that it's only American citizens that are voting and that the ballots that are working their way through the U.S. mail are protected and kept safe and that we are maintaining the integrity of our mail-in ballot system.”

— Glen Sturtevant, Republican State Senator

What’s next

The judge will hear arguments from both sides and decide whether to block the president's executive order while the legal challenge proceeds.

The takeaway

This dispute over the president's executive order on federal elections reflects the ongoing partisan battles over voting access and integrity, with Democrats arguing the order undermines secure elections and Republicans claiming it's necessary to protect the electoral process.