US judge denies injunction against Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions
A US judge has refused to block President Donald Trump’s executive order tightening rules on mail-in voting, a setback for the Democratic Party. The ruling comes as Republicans are locked in a tight battle to retain control of both houses of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
Trump’s order, signed on March 31, directed federal agencies to compile lists of eligible voters and use federal data to verify voter eligibility. It also required the Postal Service to deliver ballots only to those on approved mail-in ballot lists and mandated states to preserve election records for five years.
Judge Carl Nichols ruled that Democrats’ challenge was premature as no flawed citizenship lists or new postal rules had been implemented yet. The judge noted that the executive order did not command any action from plaintiffs and they have not suffered harm at present.
Democrats argued the order infringed on state rights to regulate elections under the Constitution, citing potential exclusion of lawfully registered voters due to outdated data sources and errors in DHS or Social Security Administration records.