The US Supreme Court has supported President Donald Trump's initiative to tighten restrictions on mail-in voting. Justices voted 6-3 along ideological lines to remove an injunction imposed by a Massachusetts judge in June on an executive order from the president.
However, a second injunction remains active, and the ruling leaves scope for additional legal challenges. It is uncertain whether the administration will be able to implement changes before the midterm elections in November.
President Trump had previously directed the government in March to establish a "state citizenship list" to ensure mail-in ballots are only sent to eligible voters on this list. He also instructed the justice department to prioritise investigations and prosecutions of election officials who issue ballots to individuals deemed ineligible for federal elections.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, in a dissenting opinion, stated that the decision "needlessly injects chaos and uncertainty into the upcoming midterm elections." Derrick Johnson, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, commented that the ruling serves as a reminder that "democracy is never, ever guaranteed."