Trump asks Supreme Court to authorize restrictions on mail-in voting

The Trump administration has appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, seeking to reinstate an executive order that imposes restrictions on mail-in voting. This move comes after a Massachusetts appeals court upheld a block on the order, which was initially issued in April.

The executive order mandates that the Postal Service distribute mail-in ballots only to voters listed as eligible in state records, using information provided by the Department of Homeland Security. This directive faced immediate backlash, with nearly two dozen states and the District of Columbia filing lawsuits. They argued the order was unconstitutional and designed to suppress voter turnout.

President Trump has consistently amplified claims of widespread fraud in mail-in voting, despite a lack of substantiating evidence. He has also actively lobbied Congress to pass his 'Save America' legislation, which would require states to demand proof of citizenship for voter registration in federal elections. The primary legal argument against Trump's executive order has been that the president lacks the authority to unilaterally alter election procedures.

Furthermore, the administration has pursued legal action against 29 states to obtain copies of their voter rolls, which contain personal information such as birth dates and partial Social Security numbers. While courts have blocked the administration from accessing voter lists in three states, rulings are still pending in others. The significance of mail-in voting surged during the 2020 presidential election due to the COVID-19 pandemic, yet election officials, courts, and federal agencies found no evidence of widespread fraud, affirming the system's multiple verification and audit mechanisms.