(The Epoch Times)—A federal judge in Boston on Aug. 11 expanded a court-ordered block on President Donald Trump’s executive order to tighten mail-in voting rules ahead of the midterm elections, banning the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from carrying out the president’s directives nationwide.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani had previously ordered only 23 states and the District of Columbia to restrict Trump’s orders.
The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts asked the judge to expand the court’s ban nationwide.
Trump submitted an emergency request to the U.S. Supreme Court on July 27 to lift the lower court order’s initial ban. That request is still pending.
Talwani blocked a section of Trump’s order that directs the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to compile lists of voting-age U.S. citizens in each state, and another section that directs the USPS to develop standards for mail-in and absentee ballots to be used in federal elections.
Tuesday’s ruling blocks USPS from implementing standards for mail-in and absentee ballots ahead of the midterm elections on Nov. 3.
In her initial ruling, Talwani held the “executive branch has no authority to regulate elections.”
The USPS has been unable to issue a final rule about mail-in voting, but the judge found the groups suing Trump were “currently suffering irreparable harm” because their elections trainings were disrupted.
“Plaintiff organizations’ members need to vote by mail,” the judge wrote. “These members have been deprived of their sources of assistance and support in navigating their States’ widely varying requirements for mail-in voting,” the judge wrote.
The executive order has left “members without confidence as to whether they will or will not be permitted to participate in mail-in voting,” Talwani stated.
The plaintiffs said they were pleased with the ruling.
“The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts commends the court for upholding one of our most sacred constitutional rights: the right to vote,” the league’s Executive Director Celia Canavan told The Epoch Times in an emailed response. “We are pleased to see this ruling and are committed to remaining in the fight to protect voting rights–not just for the Bay Staters who rely on mail voting, but for every American who utilizes this safe, secure, and trusted tool.”
The White House responded to the ruling, saying the Trump administration planned to continue securing elections.
“The entire Trump Administration will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact–which includes the safety and security of American elections,” White House Spokesperson Lauren Bis told The Epoch Times in an email. “This campaign pledge from the President is why millions of Americans sent him back to the White House. The President has also urged Congress to pass the SAVE America Act.”
The lawsuit was filed by a coalition of voting rights groups including the League of Women Voters, Association of Americans Resident Overseas, U.S. Vote Foundation, OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Brennan Center for Justice, Legal Defense Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, and LatinoJustice PRLDEF represented the organizations.
“We are relieved that the courts have halted this executive order and reaffirmed the roles of states and Congress in setting election rules,” said Susan Dzieduszycka-Suinat, president and CEO of U.S. Vote Foundation in a statement. “Absentee and mail voting have long provided a secure and reliable way for eligible voters, including military and overseas citizens, to participate in elections. We remain committed to protecting access to these proven voting processes.”
