US appeals court blocks Trump's mail-in voting order for 23 states

A federal appeals court has refused to reinstate an executive order by US President Donald Trump aimed at tightening rules for mail-in voting. The Boston-based 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the administration's plea to lift an injunction that several Democratic-led states had secured in June.

A lower-court judge had initially ruled that key parts of the Republican president's order were unconstitutional. The Justice Department argued that challenges to the order were premature because government agencies had not yet finalized implementation actions. However, the appeals court, in a 2-1 decision, found this argument unconvincing.

The judges stated that the executive order sets clear, rapidly approaching deadlines for states to coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures. They emphasized that states must also ensure their officials and the public understand the evolving rules for the upcoming September and November elections. Consequently, the court concluded that the plaintiff states had no practical choice but to respond to the order immediately.

This ruling comes after a federal judge in Washington had previously rejected a similar effort by Democrats to block Trump's order. The Justice Department has indicated it may seek intervention from the US Supreme Court if the 1st Circuit does not rule in its favor. Trump, who has falsely claimed his 2020 election defeat was due to widespread voter fraud, signed the executive order in March, pushing for stricter mail-in voting regulations.

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As the district court reasoned, the (executive order) lays out a clear set of rapidly approaching deadlines by which states must coordinate with federal officials and comply with new voting procedures - all while the states must also ensure that their officials and the public understand the evolving set of rules that would govern the upcoming September and November elections. The Plaintiff States have no practical choice but to respond to the (order) now.