Decision allows parts of executive order to move forward before midterms
The U.S. Supreme Court Monday ruled that President Donald Trump can implement parts of his executive order meant to tighten up mail-in balloting in the U.S. – this after a group of states sued the federal government to stop the administration’s plans, claiming they were unconstitutional.
In June, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts, a Barack Obama appointee, blocked Trump’s mail ballot order for the 23 states challenging the policy.
The one page ruling from the high court had the backing of the six conservative and moderate justices and allows the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to create lists of adult U.S. citizens in each state and to send those lists to states at least 60 days before a federal election as a means to ensure only citizens are sent ballots. The Trump order also directs the U.S. Postal Service, in states that have mail-in voting, to obtain lists of eligible voters and deliver mailed ballots only to those people.
Reports indicate it remains unclear how much of the executive order will be implemented before the midterm elections in November.