The Trump administration petitioned the Supreme Court on Thursday to approve new mail-in voting restrictions. This request arose just a day before mail ballots are dispatched for November’s midterm elections.
Legal challenges to President Donald Trump’s executive order are still active in lower courts. Previously, the Supreme Court allowed the plan’s progression while litigation is ongoing. However, the legality of the policy awaits a ruling.
Trump’s executive order permits the U.S. Postal Service to decline ballot deliveries from states that fail to provide voter lists or meet standardized envelope requirements.
The administration’s recent Supreme Court filing followed a federal court hearing in Boston. During this, a Justice Department attorney struggled to confirm the operational status of the system needed for the new requirements.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani pressed Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik for more information. The focus was on the Postal Service’s readiness to implement Trump’s executive plan, originally issued last spring.
A key feature of the plan is an online portal to monitor millions of mail ballots. States would need to upload voter lists to this portal. Ballots wouldn’t be sent if the portal’s information did not match the ballot envelopes.
Talwani expressed concern about whether the government was testing the system’s functionality during an election.
I don’t even have a declaration from the Postal Service: ‘This is how it will work.’ I don’t have it. I have nothing,she stated.
This is a developing story with updates anticipated as more information emerges.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
If you wish to contact Newsweek editors about this story, reach out to Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas.
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