US judge blocks Trump election order, says states can count late mail-in ballots
BOSTON: A federal judge on Friday (Jun 13) blocked key elements of US President Donald Trump's executive order overhauling federal elections, ruling that several provisions likely violated the Constitution and intruded on state powers to regulate voting procedures.
US District Judge Denise Casper in Boston granted a preliminary injunction sought by 19 Democrat-led states, pausing enforcement of parts of the March 25 order. The ruling prevents the federal government from mandating documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and from banning states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.
“The Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections,” wrote Casper, an appointee of former President Barack Obama. “The authority for election requirements is in the hands of Congress.”
Casper ruled that 13 states that allow mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day could continue to count those votes, saying federal election law requires that ballots be cast, not necessarily received, by that day.
She also barred the Department of Justice from pursuing civil or criminal enforcement actions against states that do not comply with Trump's order.
The ruling marks a significant setback for the Trump administration, which had argued the executive order was a vital step toward ensuring election integrity. It also builds on a previous ruling in Washington that had already blocked portions of the order.
Casper’s decision also halts efforts by the US Election Assistance Commission to revise the federal voter registration form to require documentary proof of citizenship, an action she said Congress had never authorised.
“No one disputes that US citizenship is required to vote in federal elections,” she wrote, “but Congress has not imposed a documentary proof requirement.”
The executive order came as part of Trump’s broader push to reshape election rules following his defeat to Joe Biden in 2020, a loss he has repeatedly, and falsely, claimed was due to massive voter fraud.
REPUBLICANS VOW TO KEEP PUSHING CHANGES
White House spokesperson Harrison Fields responded by saying that the president “will keep fighting for election integrity, despite Democrat objections that reveal their disdain for commonsense safeguards like verifying citizenship.”
“Free and fair elections are the bedrock of our constitutional republic, and we’re confident in securing an ultimate victory in the courtroom,” Fields added.
Trump had announced the executive order as necessary to “straighten out our elections,” citing unsubstantiated concerns over voting by non-citizens.
STATES WELCOME THE RULING
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who co-led the legal challenge, called the court’s decision “a win for democracy.”
“This ruling stops an unconstitutional attempt to interfere with states’ fundamental responsibilities to manage and administer our elections,” Bonta said in a statement.
The ruling will likely fuel further legal battles over voting rights and federal authority as the US prepares for its next major election cycle.
