Supreme Court clears path for Trump mail-in voting restrictions before midterms
The Supreme Court's conservative majority ruled Monday that states challenging President Donald Trump's mail-ballot executive order lacked standing, opening a path for federal action while leaving other lawsuits alive. The Associated Press and Fox News reported the emergency order does not settle the policy's legality.
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday opened a path for President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting to move forward, though major changes before November remain uncertain, the Associated Press reported.
The court's conservative majority did not rule on whether the order is lawful. It held that the states that sued lacked legal standing to challenge it. Three liberal justices dissented. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson wrote that the ruling lets another shoe drop for plaintiffs trying to bring election-related cases.
Trump's March order directs the administration to build lists of eligible voters and tells the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on those lists. Postal Service rules released last week would stop mail ballots from states that do not comply. North Carolina begins sending overseas and military ballots Sept. 4, and other states follow soon after.
Fox News reported the order clears the administration to enforce revised mail-ballot restrictions affecting about 23 states in the near term, subject to other court fights. A Massachusetts judge had blocked the plan for the midterms and later issued a nationwide block in a separate case. The Justice Department asked that judge Monday night to lift or suspend the nationwide order after the Supreme Court ruling.
About 30 percent of ballots in the 2024 presidential election were cast by mail, federal data show. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats would fight attempts to change mail voting rules before voters decide control of Congress. The White House frames the order as a safeguard against illegal voting. Further litigation could still freeze parts of the plan.
Election administrators say even modest envelope or list-matching changes can force reprints and new training weeks before ballots go out. Voters who rely on mail for health or travel reasons should confirm their state's current instructions now, because county practices may shift as federal guidance and court orders land.
Go Deeper
Did the Court uphold the whole order?
No. It ruled the challenging states lacked standing. The legality of the order itself was not decided.
What does the order try to do?
It directs federal lists of eligible voters and tells the Postal Service to send mail ballots only to people on those lists.
Will November ballots change tomorrow?
Not automatically. Time is short, other lawsuits remain, and states are already preparing mailouts.
How common is mail voting?
About three in ten ballots in the 2024 presidential election were cast by mail, according to federal figures cited by AP.
What should voters do now?
Confirm registration, request ballots early if needed, and follow official state election guidance rather than social posts.
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