Appeals Court Upholds Block on Trump's Mail-In Voting Order

A federal appeals court has upheld a lower court's injunction blocking key portions of President Donald Trump's executive order imposing stricter mail-in voting rules ahead of the upcoming U.S. midterm elections, Mira Bhakta reported for The Hill.

A federal appeals court has ruled against key provisions of President Trump's mail-in voting executive order.

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 to reject the Trump administration's request to lift a June injunction after Democratic-led states, including California, Massachusetts, and Washington, challenged the order in court.

The executive order directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to compile lists of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote using federal citizenship databases.

It also instructed the Department of Justice (DOJ) to investigate election officials who send mail ballots to individuals deemed ineligible to vote.

The appeals court ruled that the president lacked the authority to require DHS to compile such voter eligibility data and that the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) likewise had no obligation to implement the executive order's mail-in voting provisions.

The court also wrote that the administration could not pressure local election officials to rely on incomplete federal citizenship lists by threatening potential criminal prosecution.

President Trump has remained critical of mail-in voting.

In a recent address on election integrity, he argued that the U.S. election system contains "shocking vulnerabilities" that expose it to hacking, exploitation, and foreign interference.