A federal judge on Friday extended an order blocking the Trump administration from implementing new mail-voting requirements, creating another legal hurdle for the president’s election-integrity agenda as states begin sending ballots for the November midterms.
Read more Migrants Accused of Killing Baby Dolphin as Tensions Rise in Spain’s Ceuta
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, issued a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing rules stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order.
The administration has already asked the Supreme Court to intervene and notified Talwani that it will appeal her latest ruling to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Trump’s order directs the federal government to create a list of eligible voters and would require the Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to voters included on that list. The administration has defended the changes as safeguards intended to prevent ineligible voters, including noncitizens, from participating in federal elections.
Democratic-led states and voting-rights organizations have challenged the policy, arguing that the Constitution gives states and Congress, rather than the president, authority over election rules.
Read more Who’s on Trial Here?
The legal battle is unfolding as election deadlines rapidly approach. North Carolina began mailing ballots Friday, with additional states expected to follow.
Nearly one-third of U.S. voters cast ballots by mail in the 2024 election. State election officials opposing the administration’s rules argue they do not have enough time to redesign election materials, modify computer systems and train workers before the midterms.
The Supreme Court recently gave the administration a procedural victory by overturning an earlier injunction from Talwani, concluding that she had acted before the Postal Service finalized its regulations. The justices did not decide whether Trump’s policy was constitutional.
After the Postal Service issued its final rule, opponents returned to court and Talwani again blocked implementation.
Read more A Proper President List
