By NICHOLAS RICCARDI
The U.S. Postal Service has unveiled new requirements for mail ballots less than two weeks before some states begin sending them, but the regulation will take effect only if the Supreme Court allows President Donald Trump’s order restricting voting by mail to go forward.
The final regulation was issued Friday night, but may end up as just a footnote in the lengthy legal battle against Trump’s order, which a federal judge in Boston has frozen ahead of November’s elections.
The administration has asked the high court to lift that injunction. But a second one from the same judge would prevent the Postal Service from implementing any procedural changes before this year’s midterms and would likely need to be nullified, as well.
Time is running out for the administration to make any changes in the nation’s voting procedures. The first mail ballots are required to be sent to military and overseas voters from North Carolina on Sept. 4. At that point, it would be virtually impossible for all states to alter the formatting of their mail ballots to comply with Trump’s directive. The Postal Service rule also requires states to submit voter lists in order to get their mail ballots delivered.
The Postal Service said it could not comment on its rule given the litigation.
Lawyers from Democratic-run states and civil rights groups who sued to block the order argued that Trump doesn’t have the authority to change election regulations in states. The U.S. Constitution vests that power in the states or Congress, which has been unable to pass Trump’s desired election changes.
The Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court last month to let it move forward with the executive order, which calls for the federal government to compile a list of eligible voters and send mail ballots only to those on the list. The high court has not yet taken action.
Related Posts:
- With Bears desperate for instant impact, rookie S Dillon Thieneman in 'very good spot' News CINCINNATI — One of the best things the Bears’ defense has going for it amid a challenging training camp is the rapid progress of rookie safety Dillon Thieneman. They need him to make an instant impact, especially with Coby Bryant possibly out for the season, and he’s becoming a versatile…
- Mail: King Charles will not alter the Sussexes’ status as non-working royals Entertainment The above photo was taken this past April, during what amounted to a “roll call” of working royals at a palace reception honoring Queen Elizabeth II, on what would have been her 100th birthday. The photo really shows the lack of star power within the rapidly ageing working-royal crew. This…
- As Trump pushes sweeping changes to mail voting, here's where things stand in Illinois News As President Donald Trump continues to challenge mail ballots and push for a nationwide eligible registry list, many voters are confused about their own rights in the November midterm elections. Trump in late July asked the U.S. Supreme Court to halt lower court decisions that blocked a March executive order…
- Mail: The Sussexes feel ‘the American dream might not be all it was cracked up to be’ Entertainment Months ago, the Daily Mail’s Alison Boshoff was sadly the first to proclaim that a “Reverse Megxit” was in the works. It turns out, she was right. I hate that. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will relocate to the UK in a matter of days, and their children will…
- Mail: The Reverse Sussexit was ‘presented’ to King Charles ‘as a fait accompli’ Entertainment The royal rota assembled like the Avengers this week, if the Avengers were stenographers to a wilting and culturally irrelevant institution. There’s panic seeping into every part of the coverage of the Sussex family’s return to the UK, and that panic is coming directly from the Windsors themselves. It’s worth…
(Visited 1 times, 1 visits today)