The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds ruling blocking President Trump's mail-in voting executive order in 23 states.
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to allow the administration to implement an executive order in 23 states that aims to tighten rules for mail-in voting. The order, signed by President Trump in March, requires the creation of a state citizenship list of eligible voters and mandates that the U.S. Postal Service deliver ballots only to those on the list. While President Trump argued the order provides safeguards against non-U.S. citizens voting, the administration's request to lift an injunction was rejected. The court ruled that the administration lacked the authority to direct the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to compile eligibility lists and that the U.S. Postal Service lacked the statutory authorization to adopt binding regulations on mail-in voting. The court sided with a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia, which argued that states and Congress, rather than the president, hold the authority to set election rules. The administration warned that it may seek intervention from the U.S. Supreme Court if the ruling stands.