Press Releases
03/26/2025
Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas Slams Trump’s Executive Order: 'It’s an Unlawful Overreach that Hurts Voters’
(Hartford, CT) – During a press conference at the Capitol today, Connecticut Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas condemned President Trump’s executive order on elections, calling it an unlawful overreach that would harm eligible voters and impose unnecessary burdens on Connecticut’s election system.
Secretary Thomas warned that the order would impose strict documentation requirements for voter registration, including in-person registration and proof of citizenship, which could create significant barriers both for first-time voters or anyone renewing their registration following a move or name change. Thomas spoke of New Hampshire, where after passing a version of these regulations, “voters had to scramble to find birth certificates or marriage licenses, sometimes necessitating multiple trips to the polls before being able to vote.”
The order would also place undue strain on Connecticut towns, which might be forced to hire additional staff, overhaul systems, and rely on costly federal databases—all within 30 days and without any federal funding to support these changes.
“This executive order is an unlawful overreach that will harm eligible voters and disrupt our state’s election process,” said Secretary Thomas. “It seeks to impose federal mandates on voter registration without providing the funding or resources needed to carry them out, leaving states like Connecticut to bear the astronomical costs of compliance.”
Thomas also raised concerns about the use of federal databases, such as the Social Security death master file, which could jeopardize privacy by exposing sensitive personal information. Additionally, the order would create unnecessary barriers for military personnel stationed overseas, who would be required to produce documents like birth certificates instead of using their military IDs to register to vote.
“Connecticut already runs secure, efficient elections. We have nothing to gain through this order because Connecticut already uses paper ballots, bans foreign spending in elections, counts votes by close of polls on election day, and is in compliance with the Help America Vote Act and Voting Rights Act, but we have much to lose. This executive order would undermine those systems, making voting harder, more expensive, and less accessible,” she continued. “It would create unnecessary hurdles for voters, harm election integrity, and increase costs for taxpayers.”
Secretary Thomas concluded by urging all Connecticut residents, regardless of party, to speak out against the executive order by contacting the White House.
“We don’t need more unfunded mandates or federal interference,” she said. “We need election policies that protect the rights of all citizens and preserve the integrity of our democracy.”
(Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas delivers remarks - photo 1)
(Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas delivers remarks - photo 2)
Full recording of the press conference (CT-N)
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