The administration asks the Supreme Court to clear the way for President Donald Trump's mail-in voting restrictions.
The administration announced a request for the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the full implementation of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that seeks to restrict mail-in voting. The order, signed in March, directs the U.S. Postal Service to deliver ballots only to voters on state-approved citizenship lists. However, lower courts have blocked the order in 20 states and the District of Columbia, arguing that the Constitution grants states the power to control their own elections. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the states sued prematurely because the administration has not yet finalized the specific regulations for the order. The administration framed the order as general policy guidance rather than a mandate. Conversely, the1st Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a ruling that the order might cause confusion if implemented too quickly, noting that local officials have already diverted resources to prepare for the changes. The Supreme Court has requested a proposed response from the states by August 3.