The US Supreme Court on Monday rejected President Donald Trump’s request to let the US Postal Service enforce new standards for mail-in ballots before the November midterm elections. The unsigned order left in place an injunction from US District Judge Indira Talwani blocking the rule.
The court said the administration was “unlikely to succeed on the merits” of its challenge. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the majority but indicated he could support the policy at a later stage.
What the blocked rule would have required
The Postal Service adopted the measure after Trump signed an executive order in March seeking tighter controls on mail-in voting. States would have been required to provide the agency with lists of ballot recipients and use mail-ballot envelopes previously approved by the Postal Service.
Under the policy, the agency could deny ballots that did not meet the new standards or were not linked to registered voters on the state lists. Talwani said the rule likely violated the US Constitution and would be impossible to apply as the midterms approached.
Why the decision matters for voting by mail
The Trump administration had urged the justices to allow the rule as an “important federal policy to protect the mails from being used to commit voter fraud.” In late August, the court had temporarily allowed the executive order to proceed on procedural grounds without deciding whether the plan was lawful.
Critics warn that the restrictions could disrupt delivery of thousands of ballots and disenfranchise groups that rely on voting by mail. Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin had already begun sending ballots ahead of the midterm elections, while mail voting is especially common in some Democratic-leaning states. Read the context: Trump asks Supreme Court to reinstate mail-in voting restrictions ahead of November elections.
No comments yet. Start the discussion.