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Major Questions Doctrine

The Major Questions Doctrine Constrains Presidential Power Over Elections

It limits executive power grabs in this field, as well as others.

Ilya Somin | 5.1.2026 4:57 PM

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Donald Trump has been trying to "nationalize" (his term, not mine) control over elections, claiming sweeping presidential power to control voting processes in a variety of ways. In a compelling recent post at the Election Law Blog, Richard Bernstein explains why these moves run afoul of the major questions doctrine:

Briefing has begun in the cases challenging President Trump's latest attempt to arrogate power over federal elections to the federal executive branch—EO 14399's direction that the USPS provide lists states of voters eligible to vote by mail and to block the mail-in votes of those not on the USPS lists.  The Society for the Rule of Law (with me as counsel) filed an amicus brief arguing, at pages 10-14, that the major questions doctrine applies to interpretations of federal agency authority on elections issues.  That brief is linked here.  The lack of authority for EO 14399 is so clear that a federal court does not need to rely on the major questions doctrine in order to invalidate EO 14399.  But it should, as an alternative holding….

Before a federal agency has authority to regulate a major question, a statute must provide "clear congressional authorization." West Virginia v. EPA, 597 U.S. 697, 723-24 (2022).........

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