Judge Declines, for Now, to Block Mail-In Voting Changes Ordered by Trump
The New York Times • • general
Key Points:
- A federal judge declined to block President Trump's March executive order targeting mail-in voting and directing the creation of a federal voter eligibility database, ruling it was premature to intervene.
- Judge Carl J. Nichols noted that the Trump administration had not yet fully implemented the order, leaving potential harms hypothetical, but allowed plaintiffs to renew motions if future actions cause issues.
- The executive order aims to increase federal involvement in election administration, including changes to the Postal Service and Homeland Security compiling voter lists using federal data.
- Democratic groups and lawmakers sued, claiming the order violated federal privacy laws and unlawfully interfered with state-run elections; the case combines lawsuits from organizations like the NAACP and LULAC.
- The ruling comes amid ongoing disputes over federal attempts to gather voter data nationally, with several courts previously blocking similar efforts.