US appeals court blocks Trump's mail-in voting order

A U.S. appeals court has halted the implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order designed to tighten mail-in voting regulations across 23 states. The court in Boston rejected a government plea to overturn a preliminary injunction, siding with a lower court's ruling that found significant portions of the order to be unconstitutional.

The decision, reached by a two-to-one vote, came after the U.S. Justice Department argued that a legal challenge to the order was premature, as the agencies involved had not yet finalized the specific measures. However, the appeals judges disagreed, stating that the injunction sets clear and imminent deadlines that states must adhere to, leaving them with no choice but to respond immediately.

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The injunction sets clear and rapidly approaching deadlines that states must adhere to, leaving them with no other choice but to react now.

President Trump, who has repeatedly claimed the 2020 election was stolen, signed the order in March. He has long advocated for stricter mail-in voting rules, maintaining that his 2020 defeat to Joe Biden was due to widespread voter fraud. The executive order directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of eligible U.S. voters and instructed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots exclusively to voters appearing on approved state lists.

The lower court judge had previously ruled that the President exceeded his authority with such directives, arguing he could not intimidate local election officials with the threat of criminal prosecution. The appeals court's decision further complicates the Trump administration's efforts to alter voting procedures ahead of the November midterm elections. The Justice Department has indicated it might appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court if they lose.

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The President lacks the authority for such instructions. He cannot intimidate local election officials with the threat of criminal prosecution.