WASHINGTON, D.C. – In an emergency opinion from the US Supreme Court, Justices said the Administration can proceed with an executive order on restricting mail-in voting.
The President’s executive order directs the US Postal Service to help decide which voters should receive mail-in ballots. Also under the EO, the Department of Homeland Security will also create lists of US citizens the administration believes could be used to monitor voter rolls for noncitizens.
Election integrity watchdogs said despite the President’s repeated claims of voter fraud and casting doubt over mail ballots, voter fraud is rare and it does not happen on a scale even close to necessary to “rig” an election.
On Monday, the USPS unveiled new requirements for mail ballots less than two weeks before some states begin sending them for the November elections. But it’s unclear how much of the President’s provisions can be put in place before the elections. The decision also leaves space for additional court challenges.
In the Court’s emergency order, the majority of Justices write: “The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the government to implement the order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell”.
David Becker, CEO with the Center for Election Integrity and Research released a statement:
“The Supreme Court stayed a lower court ruling that blocked the administration’s unconstitutional executive order seizing election power from the states and limiting mail voting. In doing so, the court seemed to create complete chaos leading up to the midterm elections, waiting weeks after an administration filing- and just days before mail ballots go out- to completely rewrite the rules of the election. However, there is another injunction in place, and even the majority of the Court agreed that a new lawsuit could be appropriately filed after a final Postal Service rule was issued. In fact, the final Postal Service rule was issued late last week, though the Court seems to be ignorant of that fact. I expect that the states will file a new lawsuit and that this order will remain blocked for 2026.”
The Pennsylvania Department of State sent this statement:
“Yesterday’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling does not change Pennsylvania law. Voters should have confidence that their counties will continue to follow existing processes to ensure that eligible Pennsylvania voters who cast their ballot by mail can still do so safely and securely.
The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of the case regarding the Executive Order or any U.S. Postal Service rule. In August, a District Court judge issued a nationwide injunction halting the implementation of the Executive Order and USPS rule. That injunction remains in place.
The Shapiro Administration will continue to fight this unprecedented federal overreach into our elections. The USPS action is not lawful, and we will continue to challenge that rule to ensure that Pennsylvania voters can have their voice heard – whether they vote in person, on demand, or by mail.
