Federal judge halts Trump’s election executive order seeking to create a federal voter list

A federal judge has halted President Donald Trump's executive order that aimed to create a federal voter list and restrict mail-in ballots. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the order unconstitutionally violates the separation of powers, agreeing with nearly two dozen states that challenged its legality. The plaintiffs argued that election rules are the purview of states and Congress, not the president. This ruling, which applies to the current midterm election cycle, is the second judicial setback for Trump's executive orders concerning election oversight. The administration had argued the challenges were premature, but the judge found them relevant due to upcoming election deadlines.

A federal judge in Boston has blocked the Trump administration's plan to restrict mail-in voting. US District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that an executive order requiring the postal service to use a barcode tracking system for mail-in ballots, tied to US Citizenship and Immigration Services data, was unconstitutional. This order aimed to deny mail-in ballots to states that refused to share their voter rolls with federal officials. Voting rights groups, along with 23 states and the District of Columbia, had sued the administration, arguing the president lacked the constitutional authority to issue such orders. The injunction prevents the federal government from creating a new federal program to control state voter rolls or initiating investigations against states that do not comply.