12 GOP States Ask Supreme Court to Revive Trump Mail Voting Order Before November Midterms
Updated
Updated · Democracy Docket · Jul 29
12 GOP States Ask Supreme Court to Revive Trump Mail Voting Order Before November Midterms
3 articles · Updated · Democracy Docket · Jul 29
Summary
Twelve Republican-led states filed an emergency Supreme Court appeal Wednesday seeking to put Donald Trump’s March mail-voting order into effect before the November midterms.
The request follows a 1st Circuit ruling Saturday that kept a lower-court injunction in place, blocking USPS from implementing the order while 23 Democratic states challenge it.
Trump’s directive would have DHS and the Social Security Administration compile citizenship lists, require states to share lists of voters requesting mail ballots, and tell USPS not to deliver ballots for voters not on those lists.
Missouri and the other states, echoing a DOJ stay application filed Monday, argued the injunction is premature because key implementation details remain unsettled and no final federal rule is yet in force.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson ordered the Democratic states to respond by Aug. 3; she can rule alone or send the dispute to the full court less than 100 days before the election.
How will the Supreme Court balance sudden administrative changes to mail delivery against the ticking clock of November?
Supreme Court Showdown: Trump Administration’s 2026 Emergency Appeal to Restrict Mail-In Voting and Its Impact on 65 Million Voters
Overview
In 2026, the Trump administration issued an executive order to restrict mail-in voting before the midterm elections, triggering a wave of legal battles. Federal courts split on the order’s legality, with some blocking it as unconstitutional and others calling challenges premature. The administration appealed to the Supreme Court, while Republican-led states pushed for the order’s enforcement. The order’s reliance on flawed federal databases and strict deadlines risks disenfranchising eligible voters, especially those registering close to Election Day. As states scramble to prepare backup plans, shifting rules and legal uncertainty threaten to confuse voters, depress turnout, and erode trust in the electoral process.