A federal judge in Boston has blocked key parts of President Trump's executive order aimed at restricting mail-in voting. The ruling prevents the U.S. Postal Service from implementing proposed limits tied to state voter lists.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued the decision on Thursday. It applies to this fall's general election and earlier races in nearly two dozen mainly Democratic-led states plus Washington, D.C.
Talwani ruled that Trump's directives to the Postal Service and Department of Homeland Security exceed his authority under the Constitution. She wrote that the Constitution does not grant the president any specific powers over elections and that USPS has no legal authority to control mail-in voting.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the ruling. New York State Attorney General Letitia James said the decision protects the right to vote from another unlawful attack and that the order has no place in the nation.
The affected states include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.
