America's elections are getting caught in a fight over the mail
Axios · LC · trust 45/100
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President Trump's push to restrict mail-in voting through the U.S. Postal Service could allow the federal government to exert control over voting data and state-run elections, voting rights groups say.
Why it matters: Questions remain about what will happen with mail-in voting this election cycle. On Monday, the Supreme Court cleared one roadblock for Trump's push to restrict mail-in ballots via the U.S. Postal Service, but a separate nationwide injunction keeps the rule blocked for now.
Driving the news: The Supreme Court's Monday decision overturned a lower-court ruling blocking a suit from 23 states and D.C. over the president's executive order, which created a citizenship-list system and changed mail-ballot rules.
The intrigue: Monday's ruling is "certainly not the end of this story," Jonathan Diaz, director of voting advocacy and partnerships at the Campaign Legal Center, tells Axios.
Catch up quick: The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts filed a separate motion Saturday seeking to enforce a federal court order blocking USPS from implementing the rules.
What they're saying: "It would be, I think, functionally impossible for some places to comply with these rules," Diaz says.
The other side: White House spokesperson Lauren Bis told Axios in an emailed statement that the "real 'chaos' in our elections is sowed by extreme Democrats who refuse to enact basic commonsense measures that ensure Americans, and Americans only, decide our elections."
Threat level: The rule would disproportionately harm Americans who rely on mail ballots, including the elderly, voters with disabilities, rural residents, college students, and people working multiple shifts, Diaz says.
Yes, but: Despite Trump's repeated claims that mail-in voting is unsafe, he has voted by mail multiple times, including earlier this month.
Between the lines: Trump's attacks on mail voting could also further undermine public confidence in elections.
What we're watching: Whether the DOJ attempts to use Monday's ruling to get other injunctions lifted.
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