Topline
A federal judge on Thursday once again blocked President Donald Trump's administration from implementing its new mail-in voting restrictions ahead of the midterm elections, just days after the Supreme Court lifted an earlier injunction against the measure without weighing in on the legality of Trump's bid to curb mail-in voting.
A federal judge once again blocked the Trump administration’s efforts to curb mail-in voting.
AFP via Getty Images
Key Facts
Massachusetts federal judge Indira Talwani ruled that the group of Democratic states appealing against the Trump administration's restrictions are “likely to succeed on the merits of their claims†that the USPS mail-in ballot rules were “unconstitutional.â€
The judge noted that, based on the evidence presented, Democratic states face “irreparable harm†if they are forced to comply with the “likely unconstitutional regulation,†and that compliance is “practically impossible†ahead of the midterm elections.
The Postal Service published its final rules on the mail-in ballots—based on Trump's March executive order—on Wednesday and implemented requirements including new design guidelines.
The ruling noted that the plaintiff states “neither time nor funds†to design new mail ballots, get them approved and update their systems just before the midterms—adding that some state laws require ballots to be mailed out as early as next week.
Talwani issued a temporary restraining order that blocks the implementation of the rule for another two weeks.
How Have Democratic States Reacted To The Ruling?
New York Attorney General Letitia James wrote on X: “We just won a court order blocking the Trump administration’s new rule that would have allowed the USPS to interfere with mail-in voting. States are responsible for processing our elections, and the USPS does not have the authority to decide who can and cannot vote by mail.†California Attorney General Rob Bonta also hailed the ruling and tweeted: “We've secured an early win blocking this unlawful attempt to restrict mail voting. President Trump must keep his hands off our elections.â€
What To Watch For
The ruling is likely to be appealed by the Trump administration, which has not yet commented on the matter. The appeal would follow just days after the Supreme Court issued a procedural ruling on the matter without determining the legality of the mail-in voting curbs.
what do we know about the Supreme Court Ruling?
In the 6-3 ruling, the Supreme Court's conservative majority earlier this week granted the Trump administration's appeal against a lower court injunction that had blocked federal agencies like the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security from implementing elements of Trump's March executive order imposing restrictions on mail-in ballots. The majority, however, noted that the ruling “does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell,†leaving the door open for future challenges. The court's three liberal justices wrote the dissenting opinion noting that the ruling “needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections.”
What Do We Know About The New USPS Rules?
Under the Postal Service's new rules, the USPS will only send out mail ballots when states comply with its new federal reporting requirements. Under the rule, state and local election bodies must submit voters' names and addresses to USPS through a new portal to make them eligible to receive ballots. The ballots will be sent in envelopes with special federal barcodes. The voters themselves don't have to do any additional work, but the states have complained that the measures will be impossible to comply with before the midterms, leaving several voters disenfranchised.
further reading
Will New USPS Rule Impact Your Ballot In November? What To Know As Rule Allowed To Take Effect (Forbes)
‘Fight Is Far From Over': Democratic States Respond To Supreme Court Ruling On Mail-In Voting (Forbes)
