PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aimed at tightening voting rules, setting up a legal fight with states that rely heavily on mail ballots and prompting Oregon and Arizona to sue.

The order calls for the Department of Homeland Security, working with the Social Security Administration, to create lists of eligible voters in each state, according to the text released Tuesday.

It also seeks to bar the U.S. Postal Service from sending absentee ballots to people who are not on each state’s approved list, though voting law experts say the president likely lacks the power to mandate what the Postal Service does. The order also calls for ballots to have secure envelopes with unique barcodes for tracking.

“The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary. It’s horrible what’s going on,” Trump said as he signed the order, repeating false allegations about mail ballots. “I think this will help a lot with elections.”

Oregon Secretary of State Tobias Read, a Democrat, said Oregon plans to challenge the order. “We don’t need decrees from Washington, D.C.,” Read said. “My message to the President: We’ll see you in court.”

In an interview with KATU News on Tuesday, Read called the order “another desperate, illegal power grab that shows a total lack of respect for the American people and our Constitution,” adding, “The Constitution is clear: states run elections. Oregon’s gold standard vote-by-mail elections are secure, fair, and accurate.”

Read said the executive order “is not going to go unchallenged,” and noted that Oregon has already prevailed in court against the Trump administration on election-related issues.

“We’ve already beaten the President twice when he succeeded his authority. When it comes to elections and we’re prepared to do that again,” Read said.

Read said the practical effect of the order would be to allow the federal government “to decide who gets to vote” and to “hold important election integrity and security dollars hostage.”

He called the order “irresponsible,” “reckless,” “expensive” and “unnecessary,” and said, “Oregon is not going to take this lying down.”

Asked about potential impacts with the primary 56 days away, Read said he did not see how county clerks could implement changes in the middle of an election cycle. “We’re in an election cycle already, so this is irresponsible,” he said.

Read also pushed back on Trump’s argument that the order is about election integrity. “There’s no evidence that there is any issue with election integrity,” Read said, adding that Oregon has been “running safe, accurate, fair elections in Oregon by mail for more than 25 years.”

Gov. Tina Kotek also criticized the order, saying, “Trump’s attacks on mail by vote, by mail are not about fraud. They are about silencing people. Oregon won’t back down from defending the system we trust to make our voices heard.”

U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden responded in a social media post: “Oregonians have successfully voted by mail for over thirty years, and we’ll be damned if we let Donald Trump change the way our state runs its elections. My message to the White House is this: if you come for Oregon’s vote-by-mail, you’ll have hell to pay.”

In Arizona, Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said the state’s vote-by-mail system was designed by Republicans and has delivered secure elections for decades, and that it is now used by 80% of voters. “Donald Trump is attempting to pick his desired list of voters in each state with the Social Security Administration’s help,” Fontes said. “We will not let this stand,” he added.

The executive order follows earlier legal fights between Oregon and the Trump administration.

In January, a federal judge threw out a lawsuit that would have required the state to share private voter data with the Trump administration. Another judge ruled in favor of Oregon and Washington in lawsuits against the Trump administration, blocking the administration’s first executive order from March 2025.

The order comes as the Save America Act, which would require voter ID and proof of citizenship to vote, has stalled in Congress.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — Classified employees at Central Oregon Community College could go on strike Thursday morning if ongoing negotiations with the college do not result in a new contract. The union representing custodians, administrative assistants, enrollment staff, and other hourly positions voted to authorize a strike, with the earliest possible start at 5 a.m. April 2. Mediation is continuing, with two sessions scheduled before the deadline, on March 30 and April 1.

The dispute centers on wages and benefits for the college’s lowest-paid employees. According to union representatives, many COCC staff are facing food and housing insecurity despite performing essential roles that directly impact students every day. “It is mind-boggling that the college is refusing to pay classified employees a living wage when their own CFO confirmed the funds are available,” said Scott Dove, president of the Classified Association of COCC. The union argues that its proposal, which includes higher wages and improved benefits, would better support employees while sustaining long-term financial stability.

COCC President Greg Pereira, who has been in the role for nine months, said the college is committed to a fair and sustainable agreement. “We respect the right of our classified employees to participate in this process,” Pereira said. “COCC remains committed to reaching an agreement that supports the long-term health of the college and the students we serve.” The college has proposed a three-year contract with a 19.1% wage and step increase, along with benefits improvements. Officials say essential student services, including financial aid, veteran benefits, advising, and food services, are expected to continue with limited to no disruption even if a strike occurs.

Union representatives argue that the strike is about more than money; it is about dignity and fair treatment. Classified staff make up 122 positions at the college, including groundskeepers, IT professionals, laboratory specialists, and student services staff. “The educational experience of COCC students should be the college’s top priority, but instead the board and administration are prioritizing political power over fairness,” Dove said. The union also noted that, unlike the first-ever Oregon community college strike at Portland Community College, COCC strikers are prepared to remain on strike longer if necessary, thanks to strike pay.

The college and union continue to work with mediators to avoid a walkout. COCC officials said they are coordinating with local law enforcement to ensure that any picketing is peaceful and lawful. Students and community members can track updates on negotiations at cocc.edu/negotiations.