U.S. Supreme Court Temporarily Allows Trump Decree Restricting Mail-In Voting

The U.S. Supreme Court, with its conservative majority, has granted a provisional victory to Donald Trump, allowing a presidential decree aimed at restricting mail-in voting to take effect. The court's decision, issued Monday, permits the decree to remain in force until further notice, a move that could significantly alter voting procedures.

Trump has consistently criticized mail-in voting, frequently citing it as a primary reason for his 2020 election defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, a result he still disputes. On March 31, he signed an executive order intended to impose stricter regulations on mail-in ballots, a measure that faced legal challenges from Democrats.

While the Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the decree, it lifted a suspension previously imposed by a federal court at the request of Democrat-led states. The majority opinion suggested that the federal government would be harmed by the suspension, contrasting with the states' position. However, the court cautioned that this ruling does not guarantee the legality of all future actions taken to implement the decree, stating that "the future will tell."

Progressive judges dissented, arguing that the states, which are responsible for organizing elections, including federal ones, are directly disadvantaged by these significant changes to electoral rules. The decree requires immigration and social security services to compile a federal list of eligible voters. It also directs the Postal Service to issue mail-in ballots only to individuals on this list, aiming to limit the possibility of non-citizens voting, a concern often raised by Trump and Republicans, despite official statistics indicating this is extremely rare.