Supreme Court backs Trump's mail-in ballot order, states vow fight
Key Points:
- The Supreme Court issued a ruling largely favorable to the Trump administration, allowing federal agencies like USPS, DHS, and DOJ to advance parts of Trump's election-integrity order related to mail-in voting and state citizenship lists.
- Former White House deputy counsel Gene Hamilton highlighted that the court rejected states' challenges based on speculative future harm, emphasizing that plaintiffs must show concrete or imminent injury to succeed in court.
- USPS has finalized a ballot-mail rule requiring standardized envelopes and tracking barcodes, with potential refusal of federal ballot mail to non-compliant states, though implementation is currently blocked by ongoing litigation.
- Several state officials, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, condemned the ruling and pledged to continue legal opposition, warning that the fight over mail-in voting restrictions is far from over.
- The White House has not detailed specific next steps but affirmed commitment to enforcing election security measures from Trump's order, while legal experts anticipate further court battles as federal agencies begin implementing new protocols.