Supreme Court lifts block on federal election order for midterm voting

The Supreme Court on Aug. 24 lifted an injunction that had barred the federal government from implementing portions of President Trump’s March executive order affecting mail-in ballots and citizenship verification for the upcoming midterm election.

The court said the federal government was likely to prevail on arguments that the states lacked standing and that their challenge was not yet ripe. The justices said the provisions were internal directives to executive officials and currently imposed no legal obligations on states.

A federal district judge in Massachusetts had declared the provisions legally void and unconstitutional in June, ruling that they exceeded presidential authority and violated separation of powers. The Supreme Court’s order allowed the provisions to move forward while the litigation continues.

Read the full story at nlc.org.