US Supreme Court blocks Trump’s stricter mail voting rules

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Photo by Mandel NGAN / AFP.

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The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to revive stricter rules governing mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections.

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The court earlier on Monday declined to suspend a lower court order blocking implementation of the new rules.

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In a brief explanation, the Supreme Court said the government was “unlikely to succeed” in its challenge to the lower court’s preliminary injunction.

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The administration had asked the Supreme Court to allow the new rules to take effect before the Nov. 3 midterm elections.

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The decision means states can continue sending mail-in voting materials under existing rules, with some states having already dispatched ballots.

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Trump, in an order issued in late March, directed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in voting materials only to people listed on voter rolls previously compiled by the states.

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Critics said the measure would give the postal service an additional role in controlling the voting process, beyond its traditional responsibility of delivering election materials.

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The directive has since triggered a lengthy legal battle.

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A Federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked the administration’s plans in late August, describing the order as “a likely unconstitutional regulation” saying it would be practically impossible to implement for the 2026 midterm elections.

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Americans are scheduled to vote on Nov. 3 to elect all members of the House of Representatives and a portion of the Senate.

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Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers and are seeking to retain control.

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Losing either chamber would make it significantly more difficult for Trump to advance his legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his presidency.

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(dpa/NAN)

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