Federal Judge Blocks Key Election Order
A federal judge in Washington state has stopped the Trump administration from enforcing significant aspects of an executive order that sought to alter how federal elections are managed at the state level. This decision, made on Friday, asserts that the president lacks the authority to impose such changes on Washington and Oregon.
U.S. District Judge John Chun found that specific provisions of Executive Order 14248 breach the principle of separation of powers, exceeding the president’s established authority. In a lengthy 75-page ruling, he emphasized that, as noted by the Supreme Court, while the Constitution empowers the president with executive functions, it does not render him a lawmaker.
White House Press Secretary Abigail Jackson commented on behalf of President Trump, expressing that he values election integrity deeply and believes this executive order includes lawful steps to secure elections. She mentioned that this isn’t the final word on the matter and the administration is optimistic about ultimately prevailing.
Back in April, Washington and Oregon had initiated a lawsuit, claiming Trump’s March executive order infringed upon the Constitution by creating regulations on state-managed elections, including processes for vote counting, voter registration, and the use of voting equipment.
Washington Attorney General Nick Brown described the ruling as a significant win for voters in both states, asserting that it enforces a long-held constitutional principle that only states and Congress, not individual executives, can govern elections.
This executive order mandated federal agencies to require proof of citizenship on voter registration applications and insisted that absentee and mail-in ballots be received by Election Day to be counted. It also called for enforcement action against states if their final vote counts included ballots submitted past this deadline.
Secretary of State for Washington, Steve Hobbs, reiterated the state’s commitment to ensuring fair and comprehensive access to voter registration while protecting the integrity of the electoral process. He noted that every voter has a constitutionally guaranteed right to vote and have their votes counted.
Judge Chun’s ruling also pointed out that although Washington and Oregon don’t finalize election results on Election Day, this is a norm across many U.S. states. Mail-in ballots can still be counted if they are postmarked on Election Day and arrive prior to official certification under state law.
