DNC sues Trump administration over last-minute changes to overseas voting form

The Democratic National Committee has taken the Trump administration to court over a change to the form that Americans abroad use to enroll as voters and ask for mail ballots, arguing the alteration was rushed through illegally ahead of the midterms. The complaint, filed Thursday in Washington, D. C. , asks a judge to rule that the government broke the Administrative Procedure Act and to void the revised form, according to The Guardian.

In August, the Pentagon, which administers the Federal Post Card Application, sent two emergency requests to the Office of Management and Budget, and both were swiftly approved. One change removed the checkbox for citizens who have never lived in the United States. Sean O'Keefe, a Pentagon personnel official, said the older versions could confuse voters, and that the proximity of the election ruled out ordinary review. DNC lawyers call that explanation implausible and say the government has long experience with these applicants. They also say OMB skipped public comment.

DNC chair Ken Martin accused Republicans of trying to disenfranchise voters. Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat of the US Vote Foundation said the law's protections remain intact but voters may no longer see themselves on the form.

Summarized by PolitiKool from The Guardian’s reporting. Read the full story at The Guardian →