Mathias Busekist
Blocked!
A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked key provisions of former President Donald Trump’s controversial executive order aimed at overhauling U.S. election procedures which now marks a significant legal setback in an intense battle over voting rights and access. This according to CNN.
On Friday, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper issued a preliminary injunction against two central components of the order: a requirement for voters to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering and a mandate prohibiting states from counting mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day.
The injunction on mail-in ballots applies only to the 19 states that jointly filed the lawsuit.
While non-citizens are already barred from voting in federal elections, opponents argued that demanding documents such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate would create unnecessary hurdles for eligible voters which in particular involves students, low-income individuals, and naturalized citizens who may not have immediate access to such paperwork.
Judge Casper, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, agreed with those concerns in her ruling.
“This is about protecting voters from needless barriers,” said Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell. “We will not stand by while federal overreach threatens the constitutional right to vote.”
Trump’s executive order, issued earlier this year, has drawn widespread criticism from civil rights groups and legal scholars, many of whom argue that it echoes previous efforts to restrict voting access under the guise of election integrity.
Advocates of the order claim it is necessary to prevent voter fraud though multiple investigations and court cases following the 2020 election found no evidence of widespread fraud.