The Trump administration filed a Donald Trump state citizenship list appeal on Monday, asking the Supreme Court to let a March order move ahead that would create a state citizenship list for mail ballots. The request seeks permission to keep the proposed mail-voting changes in place while lawsuits continue.
March order and lawsuit
Trump ordered the government in March to create a state citizenship list of eligible voters and to deliver mail ballots only to people on that list. Democratic officials in 23 states and the District of Columbia sued, saying the Constitution gives states and Congress the authority to set election rules, not the president.
The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to allow the changes to move ahead while the cases play out. That leaves the administration asking for a Supreme Court green light after an appeals court upheld a ruling blocking the order in nearly half the country ahead of November's midterm elections.
Nearly half the country blocked
The blocked order would apply to mail voting rules in a large share of the country while the lawsuits continue. The practical effect is straightforward: if the Supreme Court does not act, the current block stays in place even though Trump wants the order to take effect now.
Attorneys for the Democratic officials said the proposed changes are ripe for abuse and could cause chaos. Their challenge centers on who gets to write election rules, and on whether a president can impose a voter-eligibility list for mail ballots without state or congressional approval.
John Thune and the Senate
John Thune also told reporters he would be open to keeping the Senate in Washington if there was a path forward, after Trump's push to cancel the August recess until the Senate passes a proof-of-citizenship voting bill. He said, “If I thought there was a path to getting a result, I’m all for it,” and added, “We voted on it one, two, three, four, five times already,” before asking, “Show me how this ends. What’s the picture of victory at the end?”
For mail voters, the immediate issue is whether the Supreme Court lets the March order take effect while the lawsuits are still pending. Until then, the blocked rules remain on hold in the states covered by the lower-court ruling.
