Supreme court threatens midterms mail-in voting as it backs Trump plan | First Thing

The US Supreme Court has sided with President Trump's efforts to restrict mail-in voting, lifting an injunction on an executive order. The 6-3 ideological vote allows for the creation of a "state citizenship list" for mail-in ballots and prioritizes investigations into election officials issuing ballots to ineligible voters. However, a second injunction remains, leaving room for further legal challenges, and it is uncertain if actions can be taken before the midterm elections. Dissenting Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson warned the decision injects chaos into the elections, while the NAACP president stated it aims to make voting difficult. The article also briefly mentions unrelated news regarding US tariffs on Canadian goods, a US strike in the Pacific, and US sanctions threats against countries with economic ties to Iran.

The US Supreme Court has allowed the Trump administration to proceed with an executive order restricting mail voting, though its implementation before the upcoming midterm elections remains uncertain. The order, signed in March, directs the US Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to individuals on lists of eligible voters. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia had sued to block the order, arguing that election administration powers belong to states and Congress. The Supreme Court's 6-3 conservative majority sided with the administration, but the decision may still face further legal challenges. The US Postal Service outlined its implementation plan last week, but the short timeframe before some states begin sending out ballots makes significant changes difficult.

The US Postal Service (USPS) has released a final draft of proposed rules to restrict mail-in ballots, despite ongoing court challenges. These rules, stemming from a March executive order by President Donald Trump, would require states to provide voter records and redesign ballot envelopes with barcodes for tracking. The USPS argues these changes are for operational efficiency and federal law compliance. Critics, however, accuse the administration of attempting federal oversight of state election administration and potentially using the rules to gather voter information or reject ballots. US District Judge Indira Talwani has previously blocked the rules from taking effect, citing confusion and an erosion of trust in democracy.

The US Postal Service intends to publish a final rule requiring states to provide voter information to the federal government in exchange for delivering mail-in ballots. This rule, intended to comply with a March executive order from Donald Trump, faces existing court injunctions in California and Massachusetts that currently block its implementation. The USPS acknowledges these injunctions but states the rule is ready to be enacted if they are lifted, potentially impacting the November midterm elections. The proposed rule would require states to grant federal agencies access to voter lists and adopt new balloting procedures, with the USPS threatening to refuse ballot delivery if states do not comply. The federal government has already sued numerous states for refusing to share voter lists.