The Supreme Court has delivered a setback to President Trump by rejecting his administration’s attempt to enforce new mail-in voting restrictions for the midterm elections. Released on Monday, the high court’s ruling ensures that the U.S. Postal Service will continue delivering ballots under standard procedures. Voting by mail is already underway in several states, including Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, with additional states like Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington preparing for elections conducted primarily or entirely through mail ballots. The blocked plan originated from an executive order by Trump, which would have required states to provide lists of voter names and addresses while implementing specific barcodes on ballot envelopes for postal delivery. Earlier in the month, a federal judge in Boston issued a preliminary injunction halting the USPS requirements. The judge determined the measures were likely unlawful because the Postal Service lacks the authority to regulate mail-in voting. A majority of the Supreme Court subsequently voted to maintain that injunction. Trump argued that the USPS rule changes were necessary to prevent illegal voting by non-citizens, an issue that numerous audits and studies indicate is exceptionally rare. Throughout the legal proceedings, administration lawyers failed to present evidence of mail-voting fraud to the courts. Trump has frequently criticized mail-in voting, a method utilized by approximately one-third of voters in recent federal elections. Data from an MIT Election Data and Science Lab national survey shows that in 2024, a larger share of Democrats (37%) cast ballots by mail compared to Republicans (24%). In a previous social media post, Trump stated his intention to lead a movement against mail-in ballots, asserting that honest elections are impossible with mail-in voting. Despite his repeated criticisms, Trump cast his own ballot by mail in Florida this year.
Source: npr.org
