Supreme Court Allows Trump Election Integrity Order to Take Effect
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The Supreme Court on Monday allowed key provisions of President Donald Trump’s election integrity executive order to take effect, ruling that states challenging the administration had improperly brought their case in federal court.
The unsigned order was not a final ruling on the legality of Trump’s policy. The court’s three liberal justices dissented.
The decision comes shortly before some states are expected to begin sending ballots to voters for upcoming elections.
Trump signed the executive order in March, directing federal agencies to take several steps aimed at preventing noncitizens from participating in federal elections and strengthening safeguards surrounding mail and absentee ballots.
Among its provisions, the order directed the Department of Homeland Security to assist with citizenship verification and instructed the U.S. Postal Service to begin rulemaking related to the distribution of ballots to verified, eligible voters.
“President Trump is taking decisive action to prevent non-citizens from voting in Federal elections and to protect the security of mail-in and absentee ballots,” the White House said when announcing the order.
The Postal Service published requirements last week in preparation for implementation of the policy.
Several states challenged Trump’s action, securing a ruling from a federal district court in Massachusetts that prevented portions of the order from taking effect.
The Supreme Court concluded Monday that the lower court lacked jurisdiction to issue that relief because the states had not demonstrated that the executive order itself caused them the necessary injury at this stage.
The justices emphasized that their decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the administration’s underlying legal arguments.
“On that score, time will tell,” the court said regarding the ultimate legality of Trump’s order.
The procedural ruling nevertheless gives the administration an immediate victory by allowing the disputed provisions to move forward while leaving open the possibility of additional legal challenges.
From amgreatness.com