Trump administration takes mail-in ballot fight to US Supreme Court - reuters.com

The Justice Department has filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to reinstate a set of mail‑in ballot requirements that a federal district court blocked earlier this year. The petition asks the high court to stay the lower‑court order that prevented the enforcement of a 2022 rule governing how absentee ballots are processed.

The contested rule, issued by the Federal Election Commission under the Biden administration, requires each mailed ballot to be placed in a second, sealed envelope before it is opened for counting. It also mandates that the voter sign an affidavit affirming that the ballot was not submitted by a third party on the voter’s behalf, a provision aimed at curbing “ballot harvesting” practices.

In its filing, the Justice Department argues that the requirements are a reasonable safeguard against potential fraud and that the district court’s injunction undermines the government’s ability to protect the integrity of federal elections. The department contends that the rule does not impose an undue burden on voters and is consistent with longstanding election‑security objectives.

Opponents of the rule, including voting‑rights groups and several state officials, contend that the additional envelope and affidavit create unnecessary obstacles that could deter eligible voters, particularly those with limited access to postal services or who are unfamiliar with the new procedures. They maintain that the rule could suppress turnout without demonstrable evidence of fraud.

The Supreme Court has not yet ruled on the petition, and a decision on whether to grant a stay is pending. The filing comes after a similar request by the administration was previously denied by the Court, prompting the Justice Department to pursue the matter again.

The case is part of a broader series of legal challenges involving mail‑in voting regulations that have intensified since the 2020 election. Courts across the country continue to hear disputes over various state and federal rules, reflecting ongoing debates over election security and voter access.