Federal Appeals Court Blocks Trump’s Authoritarian Attack on Mail-In Voting in 23 States
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In a victory for democracy, a federal appeals court upheld an injunction against the Trump administration’s undemocratic executive order targeting mail-in voting in 23 progressive-led states.
A federal appeals court on Saturday stood firm against the Trump administration’s relentless assault on voting rights, denying the Justice Department’s attempt to lift a June injunction that had halted key provisions of President Donald Trump’s March executive order on mail-in voting. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 2-1 decision, recognized the urgency facing states with imminent election deadlines and refused to allow the administration’s overreach, leaving the district court’s injunction in place while the appeal continues.
Trump’s order, signed in March, sought to empower the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of eligible U.S. citizens, force the Postal Service to impose new standards for mail-in ballots, and direct the Justice Department to aggressively investigate officials who simply tried to expand access to voting. The lawsuit, brought by 23 states and the District of Columbia—led by forward-thinking states like California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington—rightly argued that the Constitution gives states primary responsibility over federal elections, and that Trump’s executive order was a blatant abuse of presidential power.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani had already determined that several provisions of the order likely violated the limits of presidential authority and blocked their implementation through the November 3 elections. The Justice Department, undeterred in its quest to suppress the vote, indicated it might seek emergency relief from the Supreme Court if the appeal fails, but neither the White House nor the department offered any comment at the time of publication.
"As the district court reasoned, the (executive order) lays out a clear set of rapidly approaching deadlines by which states must coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures," the majority opinion read.
The fight to protect voting rights continues, as the appellate court’s decision maintains the status quo and prevents further erosion of democracy while judicial review proceeds.