Supreme Court blocks Trump's plan to have US Postal Service regulate mail ballotsNational & International News -

Supreme Court blocks Trump’s plan to have US Postal Service regulate mail ballots

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to lift a lower court’s order blocking a plan that would see the US Postal Service regulating the delivery of mail-in ballots to voters ahead of the midterm elections. Trump previously issued an executive order that would have required states to give the US Postal Service a list of eligible voters, and then required the Postal Service to verify delivery of the ballot to that particular voter.

If the plan had been allowed to proceed, it would have placed a massive burden on state election officials. It would already be impossible for many states to comply, including some that have already begun mailing ballots. The plan would also further strain the resources of the US Postal Service, which is already one of the most overburdened and underfunded federal agencies. The lower court judge who initially blocked the order cited concerns that having the scheme go into effect so close to the midterm elections in November could result in disenfranchisement of voters.

Most of the court’s conservatives sided with the majority in rejecting the request to lift the block on Trump’s order. Only two Justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, issued dissenting opinions. However, it remains to be seen whether the Trump administration could ultimately succeed in having this plan implemented at a later time. The Constitution grants states (rather than the federal government or federal agencies like the USPS) the right to administer elections. A concurring opinion from Justice Brett Kavanaugh acknowledged that the current time crunch made the plan unfeasible. However, Kavanaugh also hinted that he might be persuaded that the USPS could have the authority to carry out such a function in future elections.