Trump’s mail ballot order gets blocked again by a federal judge. Here’s what comes next
A federal judge late Sunday ordered that the U.S. Postal Service not implement President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail balloting , adding another obstacle to the administration’s effort to rewrite election rules as the Supreme Court is poised to weigh in on the matter. The nation’s highest court already is considering the administration’s appeal of an order by U.S. District Court…
U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington, D.C., blocked President Donald Trump's executive order limiting mail ballot voting as the Supreme Court prepares to review the matter. The judge ruled that the plaintiffs demonstrated an increased risk of significant absentee or mail-in ballots not being counted in upcoming elections without an injunction.
Similarly, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a similar hold on the rule. The Postal Service regulations are based on an executive order issued by Trump earlier this year. Election officials argue that it would be impossible to implement the changes before the general election, while the regulations require pre-approval of all ballot envelope designs by the Postal Service and uploading voter identities into an inactive online portal.
Whistleblower reports have warned that millions of people could be disenfranchised if the rule takes effect for the midterms. The union representing U.S. Postal Service workers opposes the executive order, stating it is not their job to verify voter eligibility. Mail voting has been a target for Trump, who has falsely blamed it for his 2020 loss to Joe Biden and claimed it facilitates fraud despite his own use of the voting method.
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