The U.S. Supreme Court issued an order late Monday blocking the Trump administration from implementing new rules that would have allowed the Postal Service to block certain people from casting mail-in ballots in the upcoming midterm elections.
In a 7-2 ruling, the justices let stand a lower court order blocking the Postal Service from implementing the rules, saying the government was “unlikely to succeed on the merits” of its appeal.
“The court’s decision is a victory for voters, for democracy, and for the rule of law in this country,” Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul said in a statement. “I am pleased that the Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s decisions to stop this un-American rule from taking effect and creating chaos before the midterm election.”
The rules in question would have given the Postal Service broad authority to regulate balloting by mail nationwide. They would have required all mail ballot envelopes to conform with uniform standards. They also would have prohibited mail carriers from transmitting ballots to or from any person not listed on a federally approved list of confirmed U.S. citizens eligible to vote.”