The US Supreme Court on Monday (local time) backed Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting. However, it remains unclear how much of the order can be implemented before the upcoming midterm elections, scheduled for November.
Supreme Court’s ruling on mail-in ballots
According to a CNN report, although the court described its decision as limited, the ruling creates new uncertainty over voting rules for the midterm elections. It also leaves open the possibility that could eventually implement policies outlined in his March order, which gave the US Postal Service (USPS) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) unprecedented roles in administering elections.
The Supreme Court’s 10-page unsigned order, issued over the objections of its three liberal justices, could allow the Trump administration to proceed with a plan for DHS to create state-by-state lists of voters it considers eligible in Democratic-led states that had challenged the proposal in court.
Trump’s order also sought to give the USPS greater authority over states that use mail-in ballots. Under the proposal, states would have to provide USPS with lists of eligible voters and include tracking information on ballot envelopes. The Supreme Court allowed USPS to proceed with this part of the plan, but a lower court has separately blocked its nationwide implementation.
That means the legal battle over the order is likely to continue before USPS can fully implement the proposed changes. The ensuing court action could trigger emergency appeals to the Supreme Court, potentially within days. Monday’s ruling, therefore, is unlikely to be the final word on Trump’s executive order concerning mail-in ballots.
What did Trump’s executive order state?
Trump signed the executive order in March directing to prepare and share state-by-state lists of US citizens considered eligible to vote. The order also instructed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to prioritise investigations and prosecutions of state and local election officials who issue ballots to people deemed “not eligible” to vote in federal elections.
Additionally, it mandated the USPS to deliver ballots only to voters on each state’s approved mail-in ballot list, with the Postal Service recently moving to implement this directive, Reuters reported.
Trump has promised to end the use of mail-in ballots across the country before the and has repeatedly questioned the security of such ballots, despite evidence that voter fraud is rare. The development comes as Republicans seek to retain control of Congress in the fiercely contested midterms. Restricting mail-in ballots could give Republicans a significant advantage, as Democratic voters have historically been more likely to use mail-in ballots than Republicans.
Trump attacks mail-in ballots
Trump’s criticism of mail-in voting has been a recurring feature of his election-related rhetoric. Earlier this month, Trump cast his vote by mail in Florida’s Republican primary, despite his long-standing criticism of the practice and claims that it is “vulnerable to fraud.”
Trump has repeatedly questioned the reliability of mail-in ballots, linking them to his unsubstantiated allegations that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
During a July speech on election security, he said, “Mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt.”
(with agency inputs)
