Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Postal Ballot Order

A federal judge has halted President Trump’s executive order that instructed the United States Postal Service (USPS) to limit ballot deliveries to states adhering to specific election integrity rules. These rules included the requirement for states to submit their voter rolls, essentially detailing mail-in voters.

U.S. District Judge Emmett Sullivan ruled against the order, highlighting that it undermines Section 2 of the related agreement. He argued that if the USPS maintains a policy of rejecting “non-compliant mail,” it would prevent the delivery of mail-in or absentee ballots to certain voters. Additionally, if a state does not send ballots to voters in states that “refuse to approve or certify,” the Postal Service would be unable to send out documents that reflect its established practices for prioritizing election mail.

Over 20 states have initiated actions against the original directive, which is officially titled “Verifying citizenship and ensuring integrity in federal elections.” This executive order clearly states that voting in federal elections is confined to U.S. citizens only.

The order asserts that the federal government must enforce laws, including preventing violations of federal criminal law, to uphold public trust in election outcomes. It also calls for measures aimed at enhancing election integrity, particularly through the mail system.

According to the order, “Secure ballot identifiers” are necessary for providing a reliable and auditable framework to enforce federal law without infringing on voters’ rights. It emphasizes the need for unique identifiers, like barcodes, to mitigate fraud risks and maintain the integrity of elections by ensuring only citizens receive and cast ballots. Moreover, it calls for states to submit citizenship lists for this purpose.

The directive outlines how states should obtain citizenship lists from various federal records, including Social Security Administration documents and other relevant databases. These lists must be updated and sent to state election officials at least 60 days before federal elections or as needed for special elections. The Secretary of Homeland Security is tasked with creating procedures that allow individuals to access and amend their records before elections. However, being listed does not guarantee registration to vote; individuals must still complete the necessary procedures to register.

The order specifies conditions for USPS concerning election integrity compliance. It states that the USPS shall not send mail-in or absentee ballots unless the individual is registered on the designated state list described in the order.

Sullivan claimed the order seems aimed at establishing federal authority over who the Postal Service can provide mail-in or absentee ballots to during federal elections.

White House Chief of Staff Will Schaaf remarked during the signing that “federal data will help ensure state election officials have complete information about their voters, allowing them to verify that everyone voting is doing so legally.”