A federal judge has stopped the U.S. Postal Service from executing an executive order concerning mail-in ballots. President Donald Trump had mandated that the postal service could only send ballots to states that provided a list of mail-in voters. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan’s ruling prevents this order from being implemented across the country.
Judge Sullivan stated that the order would breach a prior settlement between the postal service and the NAACP. This agreement required court oversight of the postal service’s actions regarding election mail. The settlement ensured the postal service would prioritize the monitoring and timely delivery of election-related mail.
The order violates the agreement because the Postal Service cannot refuse to deliver mail-in or absentee ballots. It also cannot demand states to certify a voter list before mailing ballots, according to Sullivan’s opinion.
This decision follows a previous case where nearly 25 states opposed Trump’s order. These states succeeded in preventing the order’s execution within their jurisdictions, but Sullivan’s ruling expands the blockade nationwide.
A week earlier, Trump’s attempt to restrict noncitizens from voter registration in federal elections was also halted by another judge. This earlier case focused on an executive order that aimed to establish a federal voter registration list and implement mail voting limitations.
In light of these developments, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson expressed confidence in the legality of Trump’s executive order and its future implementation.
Ashley DiMella contributed reporting to this article. Anders Hagstrom, a reporter for Fox News Digital, also provided coverage of national politics and major breaking news events.
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