The U.S. Postal Service announced Thursday that the Trump administration’s requirements for mail-in voting are now in force while courts hear challenges to the president’s crackdown on the practice ahead of the midterm elections.
USPS said in an FAQ that the new rule is now in effect after a Supreme Court ruling lifted several court actions blocking the policy this week. Under the rule, the Postal Service will be charged with comparing ballots to an eligible list of voters created by the Trump administration through states submitting their voter rolls.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in March that sought to reshape the federal government’s role in the election process, including by cracking down on voting by mail. States have the constitutional authority to administer elections, but the president has attempted to take some control of the process.
Trump’s policy mandates spurred legal challenges from 23 states and the District of Columbia.
Trending
After the Supreme Court lifted the injunction barring the policy from taking effect, the almost two dozen states refiled their legal challenge to the rule. The high court’s ruling, which supersedes any other precedent, also delivered a win for the Trump administration by lifting the injunction in a separate federal lawsuit led by several voting rights groups.
USPS acknowledged the “pending litigation” on the final rule and committed to updating the FAQ “as necessary.”
Author
