Mail Ballots

• The Supreme Court lifted a federal judge's injunction on Monday, allowing key provisions of President Donald Trump’s mail-in voting order to proceed during the appeals process. • The ruling specifically permits the creation of eligible citizenship lists and governs the distribution of ballots via the USPS, overturning a previous block based on "speculation" regarding the 2026 midterms. • This decision creates significant legal uncertainty for a coalition of Democratic states as they prepare to distribute ballots within the coming weeks.

• President Donald Trump and Postmaster General David Steiner attempted to seize control of the electoral system by threatening to withhold mail ballot deliveries. • Steiner testified before Congress that the USPS would refuse to deliver ballots in states that declined to hand over their voter rolls to the Trump administration. • A judge intervened two days after the testimony, ruling that the USPS cannot legally block the delivery of mail-in ballots.

Decision in case concerning Rebecca Slaughter overturns decades of precedent curbing executive power. Plus how one man survived eight days lost in the Pacific OceanGood morning. Yesterday the US supreme court handed Donald Trump – and all future presidents – the power to fire leaders of independent agencies or commissions, overturning 90 years of court precedent curbing executive power.While Trump celebrated the decision on Truth Social as a “big win”, labor advocates, unions, and consumer advocacy groups criticized the decision on the case, Trump v Slaughter, and warned of the long-term impacts for democracy in the US. Rebecca Slaughter, the federal trade commissioner fired last March, said she was “profoundly disappointed about today’s decision” during a press call. Our columnist, Moira Donegan, says the court’s verdict has again undermined the power of Congress.What have lawyers said about the verdict? Stephen Vladeck, a Georgetown law professor, wrote: “There’s no sugar-coating [it]. It’s an enormously important ruling. It’s a huge win for Trump/the executive. And it’s going to have massive ramifications for the functioning of the government long after Trump is gone.”What other decisions did the court make? The supreme court sided against national Republicans and Trump’s administration to allow mail-in ballots that arrive after election day to be counted, upholding the law in more than a dozen states. It also ruled that law enforcement’s use of sprawling warrants that sweep up smartphone location data requires privacy protections under the fourth amendment, in a boost to critics who view their use as an unconstitutional dragnet.How did Trump and Carroll react? The US president wrote on Truth Social: “Surprisingly, the supreme court declined to ‘review’ a Fake Case brought against me”. Roberta Kaplan, Carroll’s attorney, also issued a statement in response to the decision, saying: “Today’s supreme court decision affirms once and for all the jury’s unanimous verdict that President Donald J Trump sexually assaulted and defamed E Jean Carroll.” Continue reading...

• The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the legality of a state grace period that allows mail-in ballots arriving after Election Day to be counted. • Republican Tate Reeves criticized the ruling on social media, arguing that the practice should not be permitted despite the court finding it constitutional. • Reeves announced plans to ask state lawmakers to repeal the grace period during the next legislative session to ensure all ballots are received by 5 p.m. on Election Day.

• The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that mail-in ballots can still be counted even if they are received after the polls close on election night. • The decision defies the expectations of Ohio Republicans, who had preemptively passed legislation to eliminate the grace period for arriving ballots. • This ruling is significant as it maintains voter access and counters GOP efforts to require all votes to be submitted by election night.

• The US Supreme Court upheld a law allowing mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day to be counted, ruling against Republican challenges. • The decision ensures that voters who mailed their ballots on time are not disenfranchised by postal delays, maintaining the authority of states to determine ballot counting procedures. • This ruling is significant as it prevents potential confusion for voters and election officials during the current cycle of midterm primaries and general elections.

• The Supreme Court ruled on Monday that states are permitted to count mail-in ballots that were cast by Election Day even if they arrive after the deadline. • The decision rejects a legal challenge brought by the RNC and the Trump administration against a Mississippi law, which argued that all ballots must be received by Election Day. • This ruling maintains flexibility for states in managing mail-in voting timelines, countering efforts to strictly limit ballot reception to a single day.