Federal Appeals Court Maintains Block on Trump’s Voter List Executive Order

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Saturday upheld an injunction preventing implementation of President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring creation of a federal roster of eligible voters in nearly half the nation. The decision preserved restrictions on the order across 23 states that challenged it before November’s midterm elections.

Trump signed the executive order in March directing the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services director and Social Security Administration commissioner to compile a “state citizenship list” of eligible voters. The directive also instructed the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots exclusively to individuals appearing on that roster.

Administration officials characterized the initiative as a protective measure against non-citizen voting. State election officials countered that the proposal created significant vulnerability to misuse and posed substantial risks of electoral disruption.

Twenty-three states alongside the District of Columbia filed suit in U.S. District Court in Boston, contending that Trump lacked constitutional authority to dictate voting procedures. They argued that election rule-setting remains the exclusive domain of individual states and Congress.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, agreed with the challenge and blocked the order’s implementation in the litigant states for the Nov. 3 elections. The White House and Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment regarding the appeals court ruling.