Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Executive Order on Proof of Citizenship for Voting

A federal judge on Wednesday permanently barred the administration from implementing most of an executive order on elections that sought to require documentary proof of citizenship when registering to vote. District Court Judge Denise Casper in Boston converted a preliminary injunction issued a year ago into a permanent ban.

She rejected the administration’s argument that the lawsuit was premature and ruled that the Constitution assigns authority over elections to states and Congress.

” The order would have required proof of citizenship for voter registration, barred counting of mail ballots arriving after Election Day even if postmarked earlier, and withheld federal funds from non-compliant states. ” She added that her office would continue defending voting rights in this year’s midterm elections.

The ruling is the latest in a series of court decisions against the first elections executive order signed months after the president took office for a second term. A separate federal judge in Washington, D.C., previously blocked inclusion of the proof-of-citizenship requirement on the federal voter registration form and barred the Secretary of Defense from requiring such proof for military personnel.

The president has since signed a second executive order seeking a national voter list and limits on mail balloting, which also faces legal challenges. Legislation known as the SAVE America Act has passed the House but remains stalled in the Senate. On Wednesday the president canceled the expected signing of a bipartisan housing bill, stating he would not sign legislation until Congress passes the proof-of-citizenship requirement for voting.