Court permanently blocks key provisions of Trump's voting order
by Darryl Coote · UPIJune 25 (UPI) -- A federal judge on Wednesday permanently blocked several key provisions of President Donald Trump's voting executive order, including a proof-of-citizenship requirement, handing his administration a loss in its efforts to extend federal control over elections.
Elections -- and their integrity -- have been a focus of Trump, who falsely maintains that the 2020 election was stolen from him and has sought to implement a number of rules and changes ahead of November's midterm elections that Democrats and other critics allege amount to unconstitutional interference that exceeds his presidential authority.
In March 2025, Trump issued a sweeping election-related executive order that critics described as an anti-voting measure that, along with the proof-of-citizenship requirement, required states to reject mail-in ballots postmarked the day of the election but arriving afterward and threatened to withhold federal election funding from noncompliant states.
Several of the provisions had already been blocked by the court, and Wednesday's ruling by District Judge Denise Casper in Massachusetts makes permanent an injunction affecting four key provisions she issued last summer.
In her 59-page Wednesday ruling, Casper, a President Barack Obama appointee, sided with the 19 attorneys general who filed the lawsuit in stating that the provisions were presidential overreach.
"While the Constitution vests the President with 'executive Power' and commands him to 'take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,' ... it does not grant the President any specific powers over elections," she wrote.
She said several of the executive order's provisions were "unconstitutional and void because they are ultra vires and violate the separation of powers under the United States Constitution."
Concerning the proof-of-citizenship requirement provisions, she pointed to a previous ruling that stated the measure would "conflict with the will of Congress" and "can pose a significant barriers for otherwise eligible voters."
On the mail-in ballot provision, she said it would "disproportionately harm military voters, elderly voters, voters with disabilities and voters in rural areas, all of whom face unique obstacles."
The Justice Department was expected to appeal the ruling.
The lawsuit was brought by 19 Democratic-led states, some of whom celebrated the ruling.
"Today's ruling reinforces a fundamental principle: elections should be run at the local level," Nevada Secretary of State Francisco Aguilar told UPI in an emailed statement.
"The ongoing national debates over election policy make it even more important for states to maintain clear, consistent systems for voters."
New York Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement saying she was "grateful the court blocked the president's unconstitutional attempt to seize control of our elections."
"As we approach this year's midterms, I will continue doing everything in my power to protect free and fair elections and defend the sacred right for New Yorkers and all Americans," she said.
This week in Washington
President Donald Trump presents a Medal of Honor to Tom Ripley on behalf of his father, John W. Ripley, during a Medal of Honor award ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo