The Daily Beast

Trump Judge Gives Shock Green Light to His Voting Power Grab

A federal judge in D.C. declines to block Trump's executive order on voting by mail

USA Today

US judge allows Trump to implement mail-in voting executive order in loss for Dems

Judge declines to block Trumps mail-in voting executive order

The White House

ENSURING CITIZENSHIP VERIFICATION AND INTEGRITY IN FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Fox5Sandiego

Federal judge refuses to block Trump order to create federal voter list and limit mail voting

Democracy Docket

Judge denies attempt to stop Trumps mail voting order

ACLU

Stop President Trump's unconstitutional attacks on our elections

Just The News

Judge clears Trumps voter citizenship checks and mail-in voting crackdown, slapping down Democrats

GuntherEagleman

Bloomberg

Democrats Lose Court Bid To Block Trump Mail In Ballot Limits

The Washington Post

Trump Executive Order Mail Voting Stands Now Federal Court Rules

Documentcloud

28168724 Dscc V Trump 2026 05 28 Memorandum Opinion

Breitbart

Trump Blocked From Requiring Proof of Citizenship for Voter Registration

Metaculus

Trump Ban States From Using Mail In Ballots For 2026 Midterms

Richard Hasen

Marc Elias

American Civil Liberties Union

Tom Fitton

Biden Department of Justice

Joe Gruters

Kimberly Jones Merchant

Vikram D. Amar

Andrew Oldham

Jason Snead

Lynn Fitch

Louis Guirola Jr.

Snell & Wilmer

James E. Graves Jr.

Richard H. Bernstein

Michael Watson

"When adopting UOCAVA and the MOVE Act, Congress declined to specify a ballot receipt deadline,
expressly deferring instead to individual state laws."

"Federal law does not mandate that ballots be received by state officials before Election Day's conclusion, and the panel's contrary holding is erroneous."

"We think there is a good chance the Supreme Court will undertake review, and reverse the Fifth Circuit so that the ruling won’t have any effect even in the states covered by the Fifth Circuit."

“Congress set a national election day to avoid the ‘evils’ of burdening citizens with multiple election days and of risking undue influence upon voters in one state from the announced tallies in states voting earlier. Neither of those concerns,” he concluded, “is raised by allowing a reasonable interval for ballots cast and postmarked by election day to arrive by mail.”

“Federal law requires voters to take timely steps to vote by Election Day,”

"Fifth Circuit’s interpretation will require Mississippi to amend or abandon its five-business-day receipt grace period for federal races and will likely call into question similar laws in other states that allow ballots to arrive after election day."

"The Supreme Court should uphold the historic decision by the Fifth Circuit that sensibly concluded that counting ballots received after Election Day is unlawful.”

"Federal law clearly says that ballots must be received by Election Day."

Will the U.S. Supreme Court Conclude Mail-In Ballots Cannot be Counted After Election Day?

Donald Trump

Karoline Leavitt

David Becker

Michael S. Kang

Rick Hasen

Brennan Center for Justice

Lisa Kashinsky

Richard H. Pildes

Debra Cleaver

Protect Democracy

Michael Schwarz

James Gardner

"The president does not have direct executive power over elections to ban mail voting."

"The president does not have any legal authority over the administration of mail voting."

"The President plays literally no role in elections, and that's by design of the founders."

“The President has no power constitutionally to dictate to states the manner in which they conduct national elections."

"[Trump] would need the cooperation of Congress [to ban mail-in ballots], which I think he'd be unlikely to get to have any kind of federal interference with how the midterm elections will be run."

"While the attorney general does not have the authority to prevent states from following their own laws for counting ballots, this command sets up a potential conflict between the federal government and the states over the counting of ballots in the days after Election Day."

"[Trump] might soon announce a long-promised executive order on the subject."

“The White House is working on an executive order to strengthen our elections in this country, and to ensure that there cannot be blatant fraud, as we’ve seen in California, with their universal mail-in voting system."

"I’m going to do an executive order ending vote by mail.'”

Will Trump Ban US States From Using Mail-In Ballots by the 2026 Midterm Elections?

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, declined to block President Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, ruling that the case was brought too early because federal agencies had not yet implemented the order.

U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, a Trump appointee in Washington, declined to block President Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting, ruling that the case was brought too early because federal agencies had not yet implemented the order.

Trump signed the executive order on March 31, directing the Department of Homeland Security to compile state citizenship lists using federal data and requiring the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to voters on those lists.

Trump signed the executive order on March 31, directing the Department of Homeland Security to compile state citizenship lists using federal data and requiring the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail-in ballots only to voters on those lists.

Plaintiffs including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued the order infringed on states' constitutional rights to regulate elections. Democrats also contended that DHS and Social Security Administration data used to build the lists could be outdated or contain errors.

Plaintiffs including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer argued the order infringed on states' constitutional rights to regulate elections. Democrats also contended that DHS and Social Security Administration data used to build the lists could be outdated or contain errors.

Nichols wrote that plaintiffs "cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted" until federal agencies take steps to implement the order, but noted they may renew their motions if future actions occur.

Nichols wrote that plaintiffs "cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted" until federal agencies take steps to implement the order, but noted they may renew their motions if future actions occur.

The legal challenge now shifts to Boston, where a coalition of Democratic states filed a separate lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, was scheduled to hear arguments in that case on June 2.

The legal challenge now shifts to Boston, where a coalition of Democratic states filed a separate lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, was scheduled to hear arguments in that case on June 2.

Trump's order was his second executive action seeking to overhaul elections. His first, issued shortly after taking office in his second term, was blocked by multiple federal judges and had sought to require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Trump's order was his second executive action seeking to overhaul elections. His first, issued shortly after taking office in his second term, was blocked by multiple federal judges and had sought to require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

Judge Refuses to Block Trump Mail-In Voting Order

Judge allowsRefuses Trump to implementBlock mailTrump Mail-inIn votingVoting executive orderOrder

The Controversies

Justice

Jr.

Amar

Jr.

Oldham

Wilmer

Fitton

Snead

Kang

Becker

Pildes

Hasen

Justice

Schwarz

Leavitt

Trump

Go Deeper

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Judge Refuses to Block Trump Mail-In Voting Order

Judge allowsRefuses Trump to implementBlock mailTrump Mail-inIn votingVoting executive orderOrder

The Controversies

Justice

Jr.

Amar

Jr.

Oldham

Wilmer

Fitton

Snead

Kang

Becker

Pildes

Hasen

Justice

Schwarz

Leavitt

Trump

Go Deeper

Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up for Our Free Newsletters