US Supreme Court lifts block on Trump-era mail-in voting restrictions

The US Supreme Court has overturned a judicial order that had prevented the administration of President Donald Trump from implementing part of his executive order restricting the use of mail-in ballots, ahead of the upcoming midterm congressional elections scheduled for November.

Despite the court's decision, the fate of Trump's plan remains uncertain, as a separate injunction is still in effect, blocking the implementation of a key measure aimed at tightening mail-in voting rules.

The Supreme Court's 6-3 ruling concerned a decision issued last June by federal judge Indira Talwani in Boston, after 23 states—mostly led by Democrats—along with the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit to halt the executive order.

The court found that the states' challenge to the executive order was premature at this stage, but left open the possibility for them to return to court as the midterm elections approach.

In March, Trump issued an executive order directing the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of eligible American voters in each state and send them to local authorities. The order also instructed the Department of Justice to prioritize investigating and prosecuting election officials who issue ballots to individuals the administration deems ineligible to vote in federal elections.

The order further stipulated that the US Postal Service should deliver ballots only to voters listed on each state's approved voting rolls.

This comes as Republicans fight to maintain their congressional majority, while critics argue that restricting mail-in voting could benefit Republicans, given that Democratic voters rely more heavily on this method.

Trump had pledged to end the use of mail-in ballots nationwide before the midterms and has repeatedly questioned the integrity of this voting method, despite limited evidence of widespread fraud involving mail-in ballots.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court did not intervene in another injunction issued by Judge Talwani on August 11, which prevents the US Postal Service nationwide from implementing the stricter rules outlined in Trump's directive on mail-in voting. This decision came in a separate lawsuit filed by voting rights organizations.