The US Supreme Court has rejected an emergency petition from the presidential administration, thereby upholding a stay on an executive order that sought to change mail-in voting rules ahead of the upcoming midterm elections in November. According to reports from ynet and various agencies, the order in question required states to provide voter lists to the Postal Service to prevent individuals not on the lists from receiving ballots, citing a goal of preventing fraud.
However, Trump provided no evidence to support these claims. Numerous lawsuits were filed against the order by Democrat-led states, arguing that the measure exceeded the President's authority and infringed upon the constitutional authority of states to conduct elections. Officials, including Republican election administrators, warned that implementing the new rules within the short remaining timeframe would cause chaos and hinder many citizens from exercising their right to vote.
The Supreme Court, in a recently released decision, determined that the administration is unlikely to prevail in the legal process regarding the implementation of these rules. Justice Brett Kavanaugh, one of the justices appointed by Trump, explained his support for staying the order due to concerns that there is insufficient time to prepare for the changes in the upcoming election, though he noted that the Postal Service might theoretically have the authority to enforce such rules.
Following the decision, President Trump posted a critique attacking the Supreme Court justices, specifically the three he appointed—Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—calling them a "shadow of themselves. " Conversely, senior Democrats welcomed the ruling. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold described the ruling as a victory for American democracy, claiming it blocked the President's attempt to use the Postal Service to dictate who could vote.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta also noted that the decision reaffirms the rule of law. It should be noted that while Trump is attacking the justices over this decision, the conservative majority on the Supreme Court has previously granted him significant legal victories, such as granting immunity for official acts as a former president.