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On Monday, the Supreme Court rejected the administration’s plan to limit mail-in ballots nationwide. The decision follows an intense legal battle in recent weeks that culminated in yesterday’s ruling by the highest court.
“NALC applauds the Supreme Court for upholding the Constitution and guaranteeing Americans’ access to voting by mail,” NALC President Brian L. Renfroe said. “This ruling dealt with an executive order that was a clear effort to diminish the credibility of mail-in voting, sow doubt in our elections, and discredit the work of our union’s 200,000 active letter carriers.
“Voting by mail has been a safe, secure and reliable way to participate in our democracy since the Civil War. As we always have, letter carriers are prepared and proud to get the job done once again in this year’s midterm elections.”
The Supreme Court’s decision blocked an executive order (EO) the president issued in March. The EO aimed to severely limit mail-in ballots by giving the Postal Service new responsibilities outside its typical, constitutionally mandated operations. The order granted USPS the authority to reject and refuse delivery of ballots unless states complied with a uniform envelope style and submitted lists of eligible voters to an online portal that had yet to be released.
These measures were challenged in the courts, and a U.S. district judge in Boston, MA, issued a temporary order blocking implementation until after November. However, on Aug. 24, the Supreme Court overturned that order and allowed the Postal Service to proceed with planning. While the Court did not rule on the legality of the changes at the time, it stated that the lawsuit was premature, given that the Postal Service had yet to issue a rule on how it would implement the EO. The Postal Service released its implementation rule a day before the Supreme Court’s ruling.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, a Postal Service whistleblower said the new online portal that USPS was building in compliance with the EO was dysfunctional and not ready for midterm elections.
Ahead of yesterday’s ruling, on Sept. 10, an appeals court upheld the block on the EO, and on Sept. 13, a U.S. district judge in Washington, DC, issued a similar block.
Last week, a bipartisan group of current and former lawmakers filed an amicus brief in the Supreme Court case, urging it to uphold the lower court’s block.
President Trump urged the Supreme Court to rule on the case, while the Democratic states and voting rights groups challenging the plan argued it would be nearly impossible for states to comply with new Postal Service rules weeks before the midterm elections.
Yesterday’s ruling eliminates any proposed changes included in the EO and confirms that the Postal Service and letter carriers’ roles will remain the same in the midterm elections.