Justice Department Seeks Dismissal of Mail-in Voting Lawsuit
The U.S. Department of Justice asked a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting.
The United States Department of Justice has asked a federal judge to dismiss a Democrat-led lawsuit challenging a March 31 executive order issued by President Donald Trump. The order seeks to restrict voting by mail and mandates the creation of state citizenship lists. Federal prosecutors argue the legal challenge is premature because the involved agencies have not yet implemented the order and remain in the deliberation phase.
Under the directive, the United States Postal Service must block states from mailing ballots unless they are sent to voters on approved lists. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration are tasked with compiling and verifying these lists of voting-age citizens in each state.
Democratic state attorneys general and senators contend that the president lacks authority over the independent Postal Service. Conversely, a coalition of Republican attorneys general argues that the president possesses total executive power over all federal agencies, citing the unitary executive theory to defend the order.
