HARRISBURG — Gov. Josh Shapiro on Tuesday joined a multistate lawsuit challenging an executive order issued by Donald Trump that seeks to change how elections are administered.

The lawsuit, filed alongside 17 other states and led by attorneys general in California, Massachusetts, Nevada and Washington, argues the order unlawfully interferes with states’ authority to run elections. The U.S. Constitution gives states primary responsibility for administering elections.

According to the filing, the executive order directs federal agencies to take steps related to voter eligibility and mail-in voting procedures, actions the states contend exceed federal authority.

“The U.S. Constitution makes clear that elections are to be run by the states,” Shapiro said in a statement. “The good people of Pennsylvania will vote — whether in person or by mail — and their votes will be counted.”

State officials said Pennsylvania has taken steps in recent years to strengthen election security and access, including implementing automatic voter registration and updating mail ballot materials to reduce errors.

Shapiro, who previously served as attorney general, also pointed to past legal challenges defending the state’s election results following the 2020 election.

The case seeks to block enforcement of the executive order, arguing it could restrict mail-in voting and infringe on states’ rights to administer elections.