The Trump administration has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow implementation nationwide of an executive order aimed at tightening rules for mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections. The order, issued in March, is part of President Trump’s wider efforts to make changes in U.S. elections.
Background
President Trump has made false claims of widespread fraud in U.S. elections, including his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. He has pressed the Republican-controlled Congress to pass a contentious package of voting restrictions called the SAVE America Act.
The executive order directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile and transmit to the states a list of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state, and the Justice Department to prioritize investigating and prosecuting state and local election officials who issue ballots to people deemed not eligible to vote in federal elections.
A group of 23 mostly Democratic-governed states and Washington D.C. challenged the order as unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani rejected the administration’s argument that the states lacked the necessary legal standing to challenge the order.
Supreme Court Appeal
The Justice Department has asked the Supreme Court to put on hold Judge Talwani’s ruling preventing the enforcement of the president’s directive while the litigation plays out. The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the request on Saturday.
Original reporting: Appleton, WI News Feed (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
