The Trump administration on Sunday again asked the Supreme Court to let it enforce new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections. It is the third time the administration has asked the high court to intervene in the dispute over an executive order that tightens rules on how states and the Postal Service handle mail ballots.
A long legal fight
Federal courts have been split on the order. A district judge in Boston issued a temporary restraining order blocking key sections, and the First Circuit Court of Appeals later declined to lift it, writing that the order “directs unprecedented levels of involvement by federal officials in how states administer elections.” A separate panel on the D.C. Circuit refused to block the same order in a related case. The Supreme Court has allowed parts of the plan to move forward before without ruling on whether it is legal.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, who handles emergency appeals from the region, set a deadline early this week for the other side to respond, so the justices could act within days.
Timing is tight
North Carolina began mailing out absentee ballots on Friday, the first state to start shipping ballots for the midterms. Many other states will follow in the coming weeks, which is why election officials say a ruling is needed soon. If the order takes effect, supporters say, it would tighten ballot deadlines and verification steps. Critics say it would make voting harder for military families, older adults and others who rely on mail ballots.
What is at stake
Control of both chambers of Congress is on the ballot in November. President Trump has long opposed mail voting and has repeated false claims that it caused his 2020 loss, even though he has used mail ballots himself. Voting rights groups say the restrictions target a method used heavily by Democratic voters, while the administration says the rules protect election integrity.