Supreme Court Hands Trump a Win on Mail-In Ballot Restrictions Ahead of Midterms
The U.S. Supreme Court has lifted a federal injunction that blocked the Trump administration from implementing a controversial executive order aimed at restricting mail-in ballots before the upcoming November midterm elections, as reported by Reuters and the New York Times.
In a 6-3 decision along ideological lines, the Court’s conservative majority granted an emergency request from the Justice Department to set aside a lower court’s ruling. The three liberal justices dissented from the decision.
Understanding the Legal Battle
The initial injunction was issued in June by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. That ruling halted the president’s directive following a lawsuit filed by a coalition of 23 mostly Democratic-governed states and Washington, D.C.
Both lawsuits in front of Judge Talwani challenged Trump’s executive order as unconstitutional.
What Trump’s Executive Order Demands
Issued in March, the executive order introduces sweeping changes to federal election oversight. These include mandatory compilation of list of eligible U.S. citizens to individual states by the Department of Homeland Security.
The order also mandate the Justice Department to prioritize investigating and prosecuting state and local election officials who distribute ballots to individuals deemed “not eligible” to vote in federal elections.
While the Supreme Court decision grants reprieve to Trump, there is a loophole as it does not completely clear the path for the executive order.
This is because a second, separate nationwide injunction remains fully active. Issues on August 11, Judge Talwani restrained the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing tighter mail-in voting rules.
This second order stemmed from a separate lawsuit filed by multiple voting-rights organizations.
The Justice Department explicitly urged the Supreme Court to strike down both of Talwani’s injunctions but the justices declined to do so on Monday.
What Happens Next?
Control of Congress hangs in the balance for the upcoming midterm elections, making mail-in voting rules a critical battleground.
Because the Supreme Court only addressed the June injunction, the legal path remains complicated.
The high court’s narrow action leaves the door wide open for the coalition of states to mount new legal challenges in the coming months as election day draws closer.
