The Democratic Party has appealed a May ruling that declined to immediately block President Trump's March 31 executive order tightening mail-in voting rules. The order would require a federal list of confirmed U.S. citizens and limit Postal Service ballot deliveries to state-approved lists. Judge Carl Nichols said an injunction was premature because agencies had not yet acted; his decision did not resolve the order's legality. The Postal Service has proposed a related rule and the public has 30 days to comment.
Democrats Appeal Judge's Decision Not To Block Trump's Mail-In Voting Order
FILE PHOTO: Voting booths are pictured in a polling location as the Democratic and Republican parties hold primary elections in Dayton, Ohio, U.S. March 19, 2024. REUTERS/Megan Jelinger/File Photo
NEW YORK, June 1 — The Democratic Party said in a court filing on Monday that it is appealing a Washington federal judge's decision last week not to immediately block President Donald Trump's March 31 executive order tightening rules on mail-in voting.
The order directs the administration to compile a federal list of confirmed U.S. citizens and would require the U.S. Postal Service to deliver ballots only to voters who appear on each state's approved mail-in ballot list. Democrats say the order is unconstitutional and risks disenfranchising millions of eligible voters.
What the Judge Said
In a May 28 ruling, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols said the Democrats' request for a preliminary injunction was premature because federal agencies had not yet taken concrete steps to implement the executive order. Nichols did not rule on the lawfulness of the order and his decision does not, for now, change how Americans cast ballots.
Related Developments
On May 29 the Postal Service published a proposed rule that would require states to provide lists of voters who were sent mail ballots; the public has 30 days to comment before the administration can finalize the proposal. A separate lawsuit brought by a coalition of Democratic-led states is scheduled for argument this week before a federal judge in Boston.
Context
President Trump has repeatedly claimed — without evidence — that his 2020 election loss resulted from widespread voter fraud and has criticized voting by mail. Election officials and scholars generally regard mail-in voting as a secure and reliable method of casting ballots. Republicans are contesting control of Congress in the November midterm elections, a dynamic that has intensified scrutiny of voting rules.
The Justice Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Democrats' appeal. Reporting by Luc Cohen in New York; editing by Matthew Lewis.
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