Supreme Court won’t clear way for Trump’s mailed ballot rules

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Monday, Sept. 14 declined to let the U.S. Postal Service tighten the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections that will decide control of Congress.

The ruling was a loss for President Donald Trump who has challenged the security of mail-in ballots. He’s pushed for greater federal control of elections, which are administered by states − many of which said the changes can't be implemented in time. The administration had asked the court to suspend a judge's ruling that paused Trump's new role for the Postal Service.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh in an opinion agreeing with the court’s finding wrote that allowing the Postal Service to make the changes Trump called for so soon before the midterm elections would be "arbitrary and capricious."

"Local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections," the Trump-nominated justice wrote.

Two of the court's six conservative justices − Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito − dissented.

Under the controversial order Trump signed in March, states must give lists of verified voters to the Postal Service and use a specific design for ballot envelopes that includes unique voter barcodes.

Original source: https://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/