US appeals court blocks Trump's mail-in voting order
What's the story
A federal appeals court has blocked President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at tightening mail-in voting rules in 23 states. The Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the administration's request to lift an injunction obtained by several Democratic-led states on June 25. The lower court had ruled that key parts of Trump's order were unconstitutional, according to Reuters.
Court ruling
Justice Department argued lawsuit challenging order was 'premature'
The US Department of Justice had argued that since government agencies hadn't finalized actions and policies to implement Trump's directive, any lawsuit challenging his order was premature.
However, the appeals court rejected this argument in a 2-1 ruling.
The judges wrote, "The Plaintiff States have no practical choice but to respond to the (order) now."
Order details
What did Trump's executive order entail?
Trump signed the executive order in March, pushing for tighter rules on mail-in voting.
The order directed the US Department of Homeland Security to create and send a list of confirmed US citizens eligible to vote in each state, from citizenship and naturalization records and other federal databases.
It also mandated US Postal Service (USPS) to deliver ballots only to voters on each state's approved mail-in ballot list.
Legal hurdles
DOJ might seek intervention from Supreme Court
Trump's executive order also directed the Justice Department to prioritize investigating state and local election officials who issue federal ballots to people deemed "not eligible" to vote.
However, a federal judge in Washington, D.C. had already rejected a related effort by Democrats on similar grounds.
The Justice Department has indicated it might seek intervention from the US Supreme Court if the 1st Circuit doesn't rule in its favor.