Courts Allow Trump Order Restricting Mail-In Voting

The United States Postal Service may now implement an executive order from President Donald Trump that restricts mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani lifted a nationwide injunction on Wednesday, following a 6-3 Supreme Court ruling on Monday that halted a similar injunction in a case brought by California and 22 other states. Neither court has yet ruled on the legality of the order, but the procedural decisions allow the administration to proceed with new ballot envelope design requirements and a plan to deliver ballots only to individuals on state-provided absentee lists.

The order requires the postal service to cross-reference Homeland Security lists of eligible citizen voters, potentially rejecting those not on a federal list. In response, Illinois is among 23 states challenging the order in court. Governor J.B. Pritzker called the decision "deeply troubling," while U.S. Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi questioned the authority of the postal service to decide which voters receive ballots.

Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon is urging voters to return mail ballots early or use secure drop-boxes to avoid uncertainty. Meanwhile, Representative Krishnamoorthi has demanded answers from the Justice Department regarding reports that the administration may deploy 1,000 election monitors nationwide to intimidate voters. Despite the legal disputes, some Illinois counties intend to begin mailing ballots on September 24 for the November 3 election.