Supreme rejects Trump's attempt to restrict mail vote

The decision, adopted on Monday, allows states to continue sending ballots by mail according to the same procedures used for years, which represent almost a third of the votes cast, being a clear defeat for Trump in an issue that he has repeatedly presented as vital to ensuring electoral integrity, although there is virtually no evidence of fraud associated with mail voting.

The majority of the Supreme did not detail its reasoning, as is customary in its urgent procedure, with two judges, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, publicly expressing their disagreement.

The Trump administration had asked the court, again placed at the center of political controversy, to open the way to restrictions before the decisive November elections for the control of Congress.

Alito wrote in the explanation of vote that Postal Services “have ample authority to regulate mail” and probably have power to apply Trump’s restrictions.

Another judge, Brett Kavanaugh, agreed that the measures should not enter into force for these interims, but indicated that he could support the administration if the matter were to return to court later.

Election officials stated that it would be impossible to implement a full review in the weeks leading up to the elections, with states such as Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin starting to mail newsletters last week, while the new system was not yet active.

According to the same officials, the administrative efforts could be particularly disruptive in states such as Washington and Oregon, which perform the vote almost exclusively by correspondence.

“The Washington election staff are already working hard to ensure a secure, reliable and accurate election,” Washington State Secretary Steve Hobbs said. “Now this work continues without having to change our processes to meet unrealistic requirements.”

In Colorado, where voters also vote almost entirely by mail, State Secretary Jena Griswold classified the court’s decision as “a great victory for Colorado and American democracy.”.

“The mail vote was protected for Colorado voters,” he said.

The Trump administration's plan required states to adopt a uniform envelope model and submit lists of eligible voters to an online portal. Postal Services could refuse to deliver newsletters to states that didn't comply.

A report of complaint warned, however, that the requirements of the postal system could lead to millions of newsletters never being sent, because the portal was not properly constructed and a single barcode error could invalidate entire batches.

Democratic state governments and voting rights defense groups challenged the restrictions in court, arguing that the President has no constitutional authority to define electoral rules that would “practically eliminate the mail vote on the eve of an important election.”.

Lower courts agreed and blocked Trump's plan, including a preliminary injunction issued by a judge appointed by the President himself.

But the Administration appealed to the Supreme, claiming that federal control of Postal Services allows it to define rules for the treatment of newsletters and that compliance was possible.

The Federal Government obtained a favourable initial procedural decision in the Supreme Court, but the judges avoided commenting on the legality of the plan.

Trump has been a constant opponent of the mail vote and falsely blamed this method for defeating the Presidential 2020s against Democrat Joe Biden, although he often resorted to that system to vote, including this year.