The US Supreme Court has rejected President Donald Trump’s attempt to expand the role of the US Postal Service in determining which voters can receive mail ballots, bringing some clarity to election preparations as voting gets underway for the midterm elections.
The court’s decision late Monday preserves the existing system, allowing thousands of election offices across the country to continue sending mail ballots under the procedures they had already planned.
The ruling ends a period of uncertainty created by a last-minute effort by the Trump administration to introduce new requirements for mail voting.
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber welcomed the decision, saying election officials could now focus on administering the elections without the uncertainty created by the proposed changes.
“Now, we can finally move forward and get back to what we do best: conducting our elections without a dark cloud hanging over us — fairly, openly, for the people, by the people,” Weber, a Democrat, said in a statement.
The legal dispute began with an executive order signed by Trump in March, which prompted the administration to develop new rules for mail ballots.
Under the proposed system, states would have been required to use a standardised design for envelopes containing mailed ballots and provide lists of eligible voters through an online portal being developed by the administration.
The Postal Service would have been given the authority to refuse to deliver ballots to states that failed to meet the new requirements.
The proposals raised concerns among election officials and voting rights advocates, particularly because of the timing of the changes.
A whistleblower report warned that the Postal Service requirements could result in millions of mail ballots not being sent, potentially preventing eligible voters from participating in the elections.
The dispute subsequently produced a series of legal challenges, court rulings and appeals, leaving election officials unsure about which rules would ultimately govern mail voting during the midterms.
Officials had also warned that implementing major changes so close to a general election could create significant logistical problems.
Mail voting has become a major part of the US electoral system, with roughly one-third of voters using the method.
The proposed changes would therefore have affected a substantial number of voters and required election offices across the country to alter established procedures shortly before the elections.
The Supreme Court’s decision means election offices can continue with their existing arrangements rather than adapting to the additional Postal Service requirements sought by the Trump administration.
The ruling represents a victory for election officials seeking stability in the administration of mail voting and preserves the procedures already in place as Americans cast ballots in the midterm elections.
