A federal judge in Massachusetts again blocked President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting nationwide on Tuesday, dealing a setback to the administration's push to implement new limits before November's midterm elections.
The ruling came one day after the Supreme Court's conservative majority cleared a procedural obstacle by ruling that states lacked legal standing to challenge the order. But the high court did not rule on whether the order itself is legal, leaving the door open for additional challenges.
Following Monday's Supreme Court decision, the Trump administration asked the Massachusetts judge to void or suspend her prior nationwide injunction. The judge declined on Tuesday, reaffirming the block.
The timing is critical: North Carolina is set to send ballots to overseas and military voters on Sept. 4, with other states following suit in coming weeks. The U.S. Postal Service had outlined plans last week to implement the President's order, but the federal block means it cannot proceed with those changes for now.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a New York Democrat, said Monday the executive order was designed to make it "harder for Americans to vote." Schumer vowed that Democrats would "fight every attempt to hijack mail-in voting and rig the rules before voters have their say this November."
With the order unenforced, the Trump administration cannot impose new requirements on mail-in voting before the elections that will determine control of Congress. Additional court challenges are expected, but the window for implementing major changes narrows as states begin ballot distribution.
