US Supreme Court removes judicial decision blocking Trump's mail-in ballot restrictions
Trump's executive order, issued in March, directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile and transmit to the states a list of US citizens eligible to vote in each state.
On Monday, the US Supreme Court lifted a judicial decision that had blocked President Donald Trump's administration from implementing his executive order aimed at restricting the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections. While one injunction remains in place, the justices granted a Justice Department emergency request to suspend another imposed by a Boston-based US Judge Indira Talwani in June.
The court's 6-3 conservative majority allowed the order to proceed, leaving open the possibility for states to sue again in the approaching midterms. The Supreme Court did not address another injunction by Talwani from August 11 that blocked the US Postal Service nationwide from enforcing the directive's stricter mail-in voting rules.
The lawsuit, filed by voting-rights groups, challenged Trump's order as unconstitutional. The president's order directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile a list of eligible voters and required the Postal Service to deliver ballots only to those on the approved list. The order also called for investigations and prosecution of state and local election officials issuing unauthorized ballots.
Trump has expressed concerns over the security of mail-in ballots, despite limited evidence of widespread voter fraud. Republicans aim to retain control of Congress in the midterms, and restricting mail-in ballots could disproportionately favor their party. In June, Talwani ruled that the president lacked authority to change federal election administration methods, stating that states determine voter eligibility and federal agencies cannot accurately compile voter lists.
The administration argued the suit was premature, as the states lacked legal standing, but the Supreme Court disagreed, citing potential election disruptions, compliance costs, and the threat of criminal prosecution. The executive order is part of Trump's broader efforts to overhaul US elections, which include false claims of widespread fraud in the 2020 election and the Republican-led effort to pass the SAVE America Act.
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