A U.S. federal appeals court has denied President Donald Trump's administration's request to allow the enforcement of his executive order, which tightens mail-in voting rules in 23 states ahead of the November congressional elections. Reuters reports, writes UNN.
Details
The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston upheld a court injunction issued on June 25. The judges supported the district court's ruling, which found key provisions of the executive order unconstitutional.
The U.S. Department of Justice argued that the lawsuit was premature because federal agencies had not yet completed developing mechanisms for implementing the order. However, the appeals court rejected this argument by a vote of 2 to 1.
The plaintiff states have no practical choice but to respond to (the order - ed.) now
The court ruled that the president exceeded his authority
The executive order, signed by Trump in March, provided for tighter control over mail-in voting. In particular, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was to compile for states lists of verified citizens eligible to vote, and the U.S. Postal Service was to deliver ballots only to voters on the approved lists.
The document also instructed the Department of Justice to prioritize investigating cases of issuing federal ballots to individuals who are not eligible to vote.
District Judge Indira Talwani concluded that the president does not have the authority to compel the Department of Homeland Security to compile such voter lists, and the Postal Service is not authorized to establish mandatory rules for mail-in voting. If the appeals court's ruling remains in effect, the Department of Justice may appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.