President Donald Trump has tried many ways to tighten his grip on U.S. elections, from signing executive orders to pushing restrictive legislation in Congress. However, his efforts have been met with mixed results, with some attempts blocked by courts.
Supreme Court Rulings
Monday’s Supreme Court ruling siding with states that accept late-arriving mail ballots was the latest example showing the limits of his reach. The ruling followed back-to-back rulings last week that barred his two sweeping executive orders seeking to change national election rules.
Trump’s efforts have not been entirely fruitless. Republican-run states have satisfied his demands to redraw congressional district lines, efforts buoyed by the Supreme Court striking down a key section of the Voting Rights Act.
Executive Orders and Legislation
Trump signed executive orders when Congress would not enact his policy preferences. His first order reflected his emphasis on illegal immigrants, seeking to require would-be voters to document their citizenship to be able to register to vote. U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper put a temporary block on the order last year and last week made her decision permanent.
Trump issued a second order in March, as the SAVE Act’s rough path in Congress became obvious. He called for a national voter list using data from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the Social Security Administration. However, U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani made the same legal assessment as Casper, writing that the provisions “unconstitutionally violate the separation of powers.”
Options for November Elections
Despite the Republican National Committee losing the mail ballot case, Chairman Joe Gruters on Monday alluded to the party’s efforts to monitor elections, including legal teams ready to file challenges. Trump has been developing a possible roadmap for more aggressive actions, with his U.S. attorney in Los Angeles opening multiple election fraud investigations.
Original reporting: KTBS 3 (Shreveport) — read the source article.
