- Trump has asked the Supreme Court to allow him to curtail mail voting, following an appeals court ruling that blocked his order.
- In March, Trump ordered the government to create a 'state citizenship list' of eligible voters and to deliver mail ballots only to those on that list.
- A judge in Massachusetts blocked the order for the plaintiff states, and a first US circuit court of appeals panel upheld that ruling over the weekend.
- The emergency appeal comes after an appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the president's order in nearly half the country ahead of November's midterm elections.
- Trump's order would give the US Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security new roles in screening state voter rolls for potential non-citizen voters.
- Twenty-three Democratic-led states challenged the order, arguing that the Constitution leaves the running of elections largely to states, not the White House.
- A federal district court blocked its implementation for this year's election in the states that sued, and the Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision.
- Despite its ostensible scope to just about half the country, the ruling effectively puts the USPS directives on hold nationwide.
Former President Donald Trump has requested the Supreme Court to allow his executive order aimed at restricting mail-in voting, which has faced legal challenges from 23 Democratic-led states. The order, issued in March, mandates that the US Postal Service only deliver ballots to voters on a federal list of eligible citizens.
The 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld a lower court's decision to block the order, stating that it infringes on states' rights to manage their own elections. The ruling effectively halts the implementation of Trump's directives nationwide, as the USPS cannot selectively enforce the order in some states but not others.
Trump's administration argues that the lawsuit is premature, claiming that many aspects of the order have yet to be implemented. The executive order also includes provisions for individualized ballot tracking and prioritizes federal prosecution of election officials who facilitate voting by non-citizens.
Despite the administration's claims of safeguarding elections, experts note that non-citizen voting is extremely rare and typically results in severe penalties, including deportation. The legal battle continues as the midterm elections approach, with implications for voting rights and election integrity.
“Trump's directive would require states to submit lists of eligible mail voters to the US Postal Service, which would be barred from sending ballots to anyone not on those lists. Meanwhile, 23 Democratic-led states have challenged the order, arguing that the Constitution grants states, not the president, the authority to set election rules.”
The Guardian
