Delaware creates task force to Trump-proof its elections

Delaware launched a new elections task force that will focus largely on protecting the state’s voting system from unconstitutional interference from the Trump administration.

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has made Delaware one of its targets in its ongoing crusade to gain access to voter rolls and private voter information from all 50 states. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee recently sued Delaware for access to its voter registration lists, as part of a broader campaign to purge people it deems ineligible to vote.

Gov. Matt Meyer signed an executive order on April 22 to create the Delaware Task Force on Free, Fair, and Secure Elections, which, among other duties, seeks to further safeguard constitutionally protected state sovereignty from these kinds of federal and outside intrusions.

“I don’t want to sugar coat it: We’re here today for one reason and one reason only, and that’s our democracy is being threatened,” said Gov. Meyer at the press launch for the task force. “We’re staring down the barrel of a crisis the likes of which our nation has not seen after hearing calls from the federal government to take over state elections.”

The executive order calls on the task force to investigate a range of threats including cybersecurity attacks, voter intimidation and disinformation. But its language is quite clear that it includes federal overreach as a threat as well.

“Experts agree that elections are most secure when administered by decentralized state and local officials,” reads the executive order, “and any attempt to federalize control over elections undermines both the security of our democratic process and the constitutional separation of powers that has safeguarded our Republic for over 250 years.”

The elections advisory committee is tasked with meeting quarterly to review security policies and submitting recommendations for any improvements needed to the governor before and after state primaries, and within 90 days after general elections.

The 20-member task force will consist of both state and federal officials, including representatives from the FBI and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Gov. Meyer said involving federal officials is meant to show that he is willing to work with them “when it benefits Delawareans and when it’s consistent with our values.”

However, he accused the Trump administration of acting as “authoritarians” when engaging with states on election matters.

“Wisdom teaches us that there are three main strategies used by aspiring authoritarians to take power away from people and institutions that protect our democracy,” said Gov. Meyer. “First, they capture the system’s referees. Second, they sideline those who could oppose them, and third, they rewrite the rules to give themselves an unfair advantage over their opponents. Right now, we’re seeing a federal government who is working on all three of those.”

Trump issued an anti-voting executive order in March that aims to create a federal database of voters and citizens that the administration exclusively deems eligible for casting ballots.

It also instructs the U.S. Postal Service to only send absentee ballots to people on these federal lists while penalizing states that don’t comply with the order.

All of this entails an unprecedented federal undermining of powers constitutionally granted to states for conducting elections. The order has since been inundated with lawsuits to overturn it.

Last week, 39 U.S. senators — including Delaware’s Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) — introduced a bill to further nullify Trump’s executive order.

The new Delaware task force serves as yet another example of states looking to Trump-proof its elections from the Trump administration’s intrusions.

“Make no mistake,” said Gov. Meyer, “if the federal government tries to interfere in our elections, we will do whatever is necessary to ensure that the people of Delaware can exercise their most sacred right.”