Federal Appeals Court Affirms Block on Trump's Voter List Executive Order
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a district court ruling that stops the implementation of President Trump's executive order to create a federal voter eligibility list and restrict mail-ballot delivery to that list in 23 states and Washington, D.C.
A three-judge panel of the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday affirmed a lower-court decision that halts President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at establishing a federal list of eligible voters and limiting mail-in ballot delivery to individuals on that list. The order, issued in March, directed the heads of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Social Security Administration to compile a "state citizenship list" and instructed the Postal Service to deliver ballots only to those listed.
The ruling applies to the 23 states and the District of Columbia that sued ahead of the November 3 midterm elections, rejecting the administration’s effort to enforce the restrictions. State election officials argued that the order exceeded presidential authority and could disrupt election administration.
Democratic officials from the affected jurisdictions filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Boston, contending that election rules are set by states and Congress, not the president. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, agreed and issued an injunction preventing the order’s implementation in the suing states.
The Justice Department said in an emailed statement that it is reviewing its options for further legal action and remains confident that the executive order will ultimately be upheld.
"We are reviewing all options," the Justice Department said.
The case was reported from Savannah, Georgia.