President Donald Trump moved to assert federal control over mail-in ballots with an executive order that targets a form of voting he frequently criticizes, even as he personally used it to cast his own ballot this year.
The federal government will provide states with a "comprehensive view" of eligible voters, and the U.S. Postal Service will "verify that ballots … are being sent to people who are eligible to vote, and then the ballots being returned are being properly returned by eligible voters only," said White House Staff Secretary Will Scharf, explaining the order.
Trump has suggested for months that the federal government could nationalize the voting process, generating bipartisan pushback and alarming critics worried about the fairness of future contests.
States have the authority under the Constitution over "the times, places, and manner" of federal elections. State and local authorities administer voting, though the Constitution gives Congress the power to "make or alter" election rules.
Trump's effort to assert executive authority over elections is likely to be challenged in court.
The president signed the order on March 31 during a White House event in the Oval Office, claiming that it "will help a lot with elections."
"I believe it's foolproof," Trump said of the order.
Trump has focused on voting legislation in the run-up to the November midterm elections, urging Congress to pass the SAVE America Act, which would require proof of citizenship to vote. The legislation has stalled amid strong pushback from Democrats and voting rights groups, who say it would make it harder for eligible voters to cast ballots.
Posted by assasstits
4 Comments
Submission statement: Donald Trump continues his attack on US election integrity, this time issuing an executive order that seeks to place the mail-in-ballots under federal scrutiny and control. This is an unprecedented attempt by the executive branch to establish control over federal elections and is likely to lead to legal challenges.
“This is illegal”
“He can’t do this”
You smugly state to your peers, as you miss the entire point of this completely
I will not be mailing in my ballot during the course of this admin. I simply cannot trust that USPS will deliver in a timely manner and allow my ballot to be counted in time.
Should be the most open and shut case for the Supreme Court to rule unconstitutional, but they’ll probably throw out all cases for lack of standing until somebody is actually not able to vote due to it- so after the midterms.