The US Supreme Court has ruled that the Trump administration can proceed with a nationwide crackdown on mail-in voting, approving its emergency appeal. This decision comes after lower courts had blocked the president's election order ahead of the November midterm elections.
President Trump had ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters, requiring that mail-in ballots only be delivered to individuals on this list. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia had challenged the order, asserting that the US constitution grants states and Congress the authority to establish election rules.
A judge in Massachusetts initially blocked the order for the plaintiff states, a decision that was upheld by a first US circuit court of appeals panel. The Supreme Court has now upheld this decision.
Despite the ruling, it remains unclear how the administration can implement the decision in time for the midterm elections in November, and the ruling allows for further legal challenges.