Federal Appeals Court Affirms Block on Trump's Voter List Executive Order

A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday affirmed a lower-court ruling that bars the Trump administration from enforcing an executive order that would require a federal "state citizenship list" of eligible voters and limit mail-in ballot delivery to individuals on that list. The decision applies to the 23 states and the District of Columbia that sued the order ahead of the November midterm elections.

The order, issued in March, directed the heads of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Social Security Administration to compile the list and instructed the Postal Service to restrict ballot delivery accordingly. The administration argued the measure would prevent non-citizens from voting.

State election officials and Democratic leaders in the challenged jurisdictions contended that the order oversteps presidential authority, asserting that election rules are set by states and Congress. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, granted a preliminary injunction in June that halted the order in the suing states.

The White House and the Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.