Federal judge refuses to block Trump order to create federal voter list and limit mail voting
Source: AP
Updated 7:57 AM EDT, May 28, 2026
A federal judge has declined to halt President Donald Trump's executive order creating a federal voter list and limiting mail voting, clearing the way for potential sweeping changes in how American elections are run shortly before this year's midterm elections.
U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington, D.C., a Trump appointee, late Wednesday rejected the request by Democrats and civil rights groups who had argued that Trump's order would likely be found unconstitutional because the states and Congress, not the president, have the power to set election rules. Nichols agreed with the Trump administration's contention it was too early to issue the order because it has yet to be implemented.
"The Court recognizes that the Postal Service may ultimately issue a final rule that directly affects Plaintiffs or their members, or that the Government may develop State Citizenship Lists that omit specific individuals due to particularized flaws," Nichols wrote. "Plaintiffs may, of course, renew their motions if and when those future actions occur. Until then, however, Plaintiffs cannot show that preliminary injunctive relief is warranted."
The legal battle against the provision now shifts to Boston, where voting rights groups have a separate lawsuit against the executive order in federal court.
Read more: https://apnews.com/article/trump-elections-mail-voting-executive-order-9474fae41161dc5954295ae1370bcb88
Link to ORDERS (PDFs)
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053.143.0_1.pdf
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053/gov.uscourts.dcd.291053.144.0.pdf
REFERENCES
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143642607
RELATED (other suits)
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143642772
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143643615
https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143644835
Chasstev365
(8,189 posts)GiqueCee
(4,830 posts)... may paint a thin patina of dignity and decorum on this decision, but it's still lipstick on a pig. The judge is a Trump appointee, so the fix was in before he even read the damned request.
It's beginning to look like the only way to eradicate the malign influence of the worst president in American history will be to remove and disbar every ass-kissing judge he appointed if their rulings are tainted by subservience to He Whose Very Name Smells Like A Moose Fart.
CousinIT
(12,789 posts)Fiendish Thingy
(24,197 posts)The states can ignore it, as they have ignored all the other election related EOs.
BumRushDaShow
(172,710 posts)and that goes beyond the states but would impact them. Thus a need for a legal permanent injunction.
Dr. T
(739 posts)absentee ballot to my local town hall.
BumRushDaShow
(172,710 posts)Last edited Thu May 28, 2026, 11:54 AM - Edit history (1)
All-mail voting(California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington)
ETA FOR CA -
The problem is if the USPS INTERCEPTS ballots being sent by a state TO voters who the deem "illegal" because they are not on a MAGat "list".
Unwind Your Mind
(2,368 posts)Yes, everyone receives their ballot in the mail but we still have polls open and drop off options. Voters can also receive a ballot at the polling place if something happens to theirs.
I take ours to a drop box in front of the library
BumRushDaShow
(172,710 posts)The link I included in my post lists all the caveats and options for each of those states. They are a polar opposite of states with no (non-absentee voting).
(ETA see update above - I meant to edit this one with the additional info but landed there instead
)
BettyBlueDot
(30 posts)I do the same. But what if Po stops delivering the ballot to my mailbox.
Dr. T
(739 posts)to track the ballot from the time we request it until it is sent. If the ballot was sent but never received, I'd start with the town clerk who sent it and ask for a replacement.
liberalgunwilltravel
(1,265 posts)This wont survive appellate review.
groundloop
(13,940 posts)Somehow I can't believe this is what was intended by the framers of the Constitution.