Supreme Court blocks Trump’s plan to restrict mail-in ballots

The US Supreme Court has rejected President Donald Trump's attempt to restrict mail-in voting before November's midterm elections, marking a significant setback for the White House. The justices upheld a federal judge's order temporarily blocking the US Postal Service (USPS) from implementing new requirements for postal ballots.

Legal experts hailed the decision as a safeguard against potential chaos in the electoral process. However, the ruling is not expected to be the final word, as conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh indicated he might later support Trump's position as the case progresses. The White House has yet to respond to the court's decision.

While Trump argued that the rules were necessary to prevent electoral fraud, he signed an executive order in March directing the USPS to deliver ballots only to registered voters. Legal challenges contended that this move infringed upon states' constitutional rights to conduct elections. Election officials from 24 Democratic-led states and Washington D.C. expressed concerns that the proposed changes were not ready for implementation and could hinder ballots from reaching voters.

Some Republican-led states, such as Florida, Louisiana, and Montana, backed the president in court filings. Approximately 30% of voters in the 2020 general election cast mail-in ballots, with a higher proportion being Democrats. Nevertheless, several states like Oregon, Washington, and Colorado rely predominantly or exclusively on mail ballots for their elections, requiring Republicans to utilize the system as well.