A second judge blocks Trump's order on mail-in voting before the Supreme Court rules
The judge issued a preliminary injunction similar to the one previously issued by Judge Indira Talwani of Boston, who had barred the Postal Service from implementing its new regulations before this year's election.
File photo of ballots
A federal judge on Sunday ordered the U.S. Postal Service not to enforce President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, dealing another blow to the administration's push to change election rules ahead of the midterm elections.
The decision, issued by Federal Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington, D.C., represents another setback for the presidential measure, as the Supreme Court prepares to rule on the matter. According to the Associated Press (AP), the judge issued a preliminary injunction similar to the one previously issued by Judge Indira Talwani of Boston, who had barred the Postal Service from enforcing its new regulations before this year's election.
Nichols justified his decision by warning of the risk that a significant number of mail-in ballots that meet the requirements might not be counted in the upcoming election.
In May, the judge had denied a request for injunctive relief, ruling that the lawsuit had been filed too early. Late last month, the Supreme Court lifted a previous stay issued by Talwani, also on the grounds that the litigation had been brought prematurely.
However, following the administration's publication of the new regulations, the plaintiffs refiled their lawsuits in Boston and Washington. Judge Talwani was nominated by former President Barack Obama, while Nichols was nominated by Trump.
The regulations
The regulations require that the designs of mail-in ballot envelopes receive prior approval from the Postal Service and that states upload to an online portal—which is still inactive—the identities of the individuals who are to receive the ballots.
Election officials have warned that it would be impossible to implement the changes with so little time left before the general election.
At least three states—Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—had already begun mailing ballots, while others were preparing to distribute them this week.
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