Federal Judges Block Parts of Trump Administration Election Orders

Federal judges in at least three districts have blocked sections of a March executive order that sought to expand federal authority over mail ballots and voter eligibility checks. The rulings prevent the U.S. Postal Service from determining who may vote by mail and limit the Justice Department’s requests for unredacted state voter files.

One opinion stated that the Constitution does not grant the president specific powers over elections.

Judges also halted an expanded version of the SAVE database that added Social Security records of U.S.-born citizens to existing noncitizen checks. The Department of Homeland Security’s modified Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements system was similarly enjoined.

Ten courts have now issued similar blocks on data-sharing demands, according to one opinion that noted bipartisan agreement among states resisting the requests.

The SAVE America Act has not advanced in Congress. Officials have described internal disagreements among Republican lawmakers over attaching the measure to other bills. A White House spokesperson stated that existing statutes allow the Justice Department to maintain accurate voter rolls and remove ineligible registrations.

Time constraints are increasing as courts generally disfavor major voting changes close to an election.