US Supreme Court Lifts Block on Trump’s Mail-In Ballot Restrictions

President Donald Trump secured a temporary legal victory on Monday after the US Supreme Court lifted a lower court’s order blocking his executive action aimed at restricting mail-in voting.

Trump issued the order in March ahead of the November midterm elections, prompting immediate legal challenges from several Democratic-led states.

The states argued that the Constitution gives them broad authority over election administration and that the federal government cannot impose the restrictions outlined in Trump’s directive.

A district court in Massachusetts had previously halted the implementation of the order. The Supreme Court, however, removed that stay on Monday, meaning parts of the Trump administration’s directive can proceed while the legal dispute continues.

In an unsigned ruling, the Supreme Court majority said, “The District Court lacked jurisdiction to bar the Government from trying to implement” the executive order.

The justices made clear that their decision was not a final ruling on the legality of the administration’s actions.

“The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful,” the majority said. “On that score, time will tell.”

Three liberal members of the nine-justice court dissented.

Trump’s executive order calls for lists of eligible voters to be compiled and requires the US Postal Service to deliver ballots only to voters appearing on those lists.

The president has repeatedly criticised mail-in voting, arguing for years, without evidence, that it is susceptible to widespread fraud. He has also linked mail voting to his unsubstantiated claim that the 2020 election was stolen from him by then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden.

Despite his criticism, Trump has used mail-in voting himself, including this month when he cast a mail ballot in Florida’s Republican primary.

“Mail-in ballots are inherently corrupt,” Trump said in a July speech on election security.

The ruling comes as Republicans face a major battle to retain their narrow control of Congress in the November midterms. The party is considered particularly vulnerable in the House of Representatives.

Democrats have said that taking control of Congress would allow them to oppose Trump’s agenda and potentially pursue a third impeachment effort against the president.

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