Federal Judge Halts Executive Order on Mail-In Ballots

A federal judge has stopped the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding mail-in ballots. The order required states to provide a list of mail-in voters before ballots could be transmitted.

Judge’s Decision

U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan ruled against the order, citing a previous settlement with the NAACP. This agreement mandated court oversight on the postal service’s handling of election mail to ensure timely delivery. Sullivan stated that the proposed rule breached this agreement.

The Proposed Rule violates paragraph 2 of the Agreement because the Postal Service cannot post documents reflecting practices and policies for prioritizing the monitoring and timely delivery of Election Mail if its policies provide that it will not accept noncompliant mailing and therefore will not deliver mail-in or absentee ballots to some voters, and if it will not mail ballots to any voters in a state where the state declines or fails to certify a list.

This decision builds on an earlier case where about 25 states had successfully challenged Trump’s order individually. Now, Sullivan’s ruling applies to the entire country.

Context and Related Rulings

Recently, another judge, appointed under Obama, blocked a separate Trump order aiming to prevent noncitizens from voting in federal elections. This order, known as Executive Order 14248, sought to create a federal voter registration list and change mail voting eligibility. The administration argued these measures were to combat voter fraud.

Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, stated, “President Trump is committed to ensuring that Americans have full confidence in the administration of our elections. The President’s executive order lawfully protects our elections, and we are confident that we will ultimately prevail in its implementation.”

Fox News’ Ashley DiMella and Anders Hagstrom contributed to this report.