US Supreme Court blocks Trump mail-in ballot restrictions

The US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump's attempt to limit mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections, denying his request to overturn a ruling that halted his plan. Out of the six conservative justices on the nine-member panel, only two dissented. In a concurring opinion with the majority, Justice Brett Kavanaugh stated that while Trump's plan might be deemed legal in the long term, state and local election officials lack sufficient time to properly implement the rule before the elections.

Trump issued an executive order in March aiming to restrict mail-in voting, citing unfounded concerns about potential fraud. This decision sparked numerous legal challenges from Democratic-led states, who argued that the Constitution grants states, not the federal government, broad control over elections. The order would have required the compilation of voter lists and mandated the US Postal Service to deliver ballots only to those on the lists.

Election officials in multiple states cautioned that the absence of legal clarity concerning the plan was causing chaos months prior to the November 3rd vote. Several states, including North Carolina, had already commenced sending mail-in ballots to voters. A USPS whistleblower had also expressed concerns that millions of Americans might not receive ballots, as the postal service's systems had been hastily assembled.

Trump has been a vocal critic of mail-in ballots but has personally utilized them, such as when he voted by mail in Florida's Republican primary. The president has long claimed, without evidence, that mail-in voting is highly susceptible to fraud, frequently referencing his assertion that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him by Democrat Joe Biden.

Recent polls indicate that Trump's Republican Party faces a significant risk of losing its narrow control of Congress in November, particularly in the House of Representatives. If Democrats win, they have indicated their intention to block Trump's agenda and possibly impeach him for the third time.