US Supreme Court leaves Trump mail-ballot restrictions blocked
The court said the Trump administration was unlikely to succeed in its challenge before November’s midterm elections.
The US Supreme Court has refused to lift an injunction blocking a Postal Service rule backed by President Donald Trump that would have tightened requirements for mail-in voting before the November midterm elections.
In an unsigned order, the court said the administration was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Justice Brett Kavanaugh joined the majority but indicated he might support the policy at a later stage.
The decision leaves in place an injunction issued by US District Judge Indira Talwani. The rule followed an executive order signed by Trump in March seeking tighter controls over mail voting.
Under the proposed system, states would have been required to provide the Postal Service with lists of eligible ballot recipients and use agency-approved envelopes. The Postal Service could reject ballots that failed to meet the standards or were not linked to registered voters on those lists.
The Supreme Court had temporarily allowed parts of Trump’s executive order to proceed on procedural grounds in late August, without ruling on its legality. Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin had begun sending ballots ahead of the elections.
Critics have warned that the restrictions could disrupt ballot delivery and disenfranchise groups that rely on mail voting. Trump has repeatedly promoted debunked claims of widespread fraud in mail voting, despite voting by mail himself.
