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Associated Press

The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Monday to clear the way for an executive order from US President Donald Trump that could dramatically change mail-in voting ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The Justice Department asked the justices to halt for now lower court decisions blocking the sweeping changes in nearly half the country.
The request comes soon after Trump delivered an address elevating his years-long push to raise doubts about the legitimacy of elections and could be one of several voting-related challenges before the court ahead of the high-stakes midterm contest.
Trump ordered the government in March to create a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.
Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president. Their lawyers have said Trump’s proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos.
A judge in Massachusetts blocked the executive order for the plaintiff states and a divided 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals panel left her ruling in place over the weekend.

The executive order calls for US Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to send state officials federal citizenship lists to determine eligible voters. It tells the US Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to people on the lists.
The order also calls for ballots to have secure envelopes with unique bar codes for tracking. Federal funding could be withheld from states and localities that do not comply.
The appeal argues that Trump’s order lays out “general policy guidance” and does not directly dictate how states run their elections. Solicitor General D. John Sauer asked the High Court to freeze the judge’s order as lawsuits play out, calling it indefensible.
“And the injunction is especially indefensible because the agencies are still deliberating over how (if at all) to implement the Order, yet the district court preemptively decided that whatever the agencies may choose to do will necessarily be unlawful,” Sauer wrote.
He urged the High Court to move quickly, arguing that any new policies would have to be in place as soon as August to be effective for the November elections.
A response to the appeal is due August 3.
The Supreme Court has ruled against the Trump administration before on mail-in ballots, finding in June that states can count ballots that arrive after election day.
Trump has promoted the proposed changes in his executive order as safeguards to keep non-US citizens from voting. He has also repeatedly pressed for the passage of legislation that requires proof of citizenship to vote.
Non-citizen voting has been shown to be rare and is a crime that can be punishable by deportation.
US District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, who was nominated by Democratic president Barack Obama, agreed in June to halt implementation for the November 3 elections.
Her ruling differed from that of another federal judge based in Washington. US District Judge Carl Nichols, who was appointed by Trump, found in May it was too early to block the order because it had not yet been implemented.
The office of California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the lawsuit for the states, did not immediately comment on the Trump administration’s appeal. New York Attorney General Letitia James’s office declined to comment.
The Postal Service also would not discuss its plans regarding implementing Trump’s order or its rule, citing the continuing litigation. In Kansas, Secretary of State Scott Schwab’s office said it has not yet heard from the Postal Service about plans going forward.


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Justice Department wants to clear way for controversial election changes ahead of the midterm elections


Justice Department wants to clear way for controversial election changes ahead of the midterm elections.


Trump administration urges US Supreme Court to allow order targeting mail-in voting

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Justice Department wants to clear way for controversial election changes ahead of the midterm elections

Justice Department wants to clear way for controversial election changes ahead of the midterm elections