The US Supreme Court has rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the November midterm elections, according to France 24. The ruling allows states to continue using the procedures already in place as voting gets under way.
The administration had sought changes including a uniform envelope design and the submission of eligible-voter lists to an online portal. Under the plan, the Postal Service could have refused to deliver ballots from states that failed to comply. The administration argued that federal control of the Postal Service gave it authority to set requirements for handling mail ballots.
The court’s brief order did not explain its reasoning. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas publicly dissented. Alito wrote that the Postal Service had broad authority to regulate mail and probably could enforce Trump’s proposed restrictions. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the rules should not take effect for the midterms, while indicating he might support the administration’s position if the matter returned to the court later.
Lower courts had blocked the plan after Democratic state officials and voting-rights groups challenged it. They argued that the president lacked constitutional authority to establish rules that could substantially curtail mail voting shortly before a major election. The administration appealed after winning an earlier procedural decision at the Supreme Court that did not resolve the plan’s legality.
Election officials warned that a last-minute overhaul would disrupt ballot distribution. Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin had already begun sending mail ballots while the proposed system was not operational, and officials said states such as Washington and Oregon could face particular disruption because they conduct elections almost entirely by mail.
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said election workers could continue preparing for a “safe, secure, and accurate election” without changing existing processes. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold called the ruling a major victory for the state and its voters. France 24 reported that the White House had not immediately responded to a request for comment.