A federal judge in Boston blocked implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail ballot delivery on Thursday, ruling that the administration lacked constitutional authority to intervene in state election systems.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, found that the March order overstepped federal power. The directive had instructed the Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to voters on federally created lists, a move election law experts predicted would face legal challenge since the Constitution reserves election administration to the states.
The decision dealt another setback to Trump's second-term election agenda. A separate federal judge in Boston issued a permanent injunction Wednesday blocking implementation of an earlier executive order requiring proof of citizenship for voter registration. Both rulings came weeks before the fall midterm elections.
Trump has made overhauling American elections a centerpiece of his return to the White House, fueled by unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in 2020. Beyond the two blocked executive orders, the administration has discussed the possibility of nationalizing federal elections, sought access to state voter rolls, and launched reviews of past election cycles.
The president has also applied significant pressure on Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would impose new citizenship verification and voter ID requirements. The legislation lacks sufficient Republican support in the Senate to advance under current rules. On Wednesday, Trump delayed signing a bipartisan housing cost bill, saying the election bill must take priority first.
Several Trump administration officials involved in 2020 election challenges now hold key roles in election policy. Kurt Olsen, the White House director of election security and integrity, and Heather Honey at the Department of Homeland Security, both participated in discussions around the March executive order, according to reporting from NBC News.
Despite the administration's aggressive push for stricter voting measures, it has yet to produce evidence supporting Trump's fraud allegations from the previous presidential election.
Author Sarah Mitchell: "Two quick losses in court won't stop Trump from pursuing his election agenda, but they signal how difficult the judicial path will be."
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