Maine Secretary of State says Supreme Court ruling won't affect mail-in voting

Maine Secretary of State Shenna Bellows stated that a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding mail-in ballots will not immediately change voting processes in the state. Bellows noted that while the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision in Trump v. California allowed the Trump administration to proceed with an executive order involving the U.S. Postal Service and the Department of Homeland Security, a nationwide injunction from a separate lawsuit remains in place.

The executive order seeks to involve the U.S. Postal Service in determining which voters receive mail-in ballots, utilizing lists from the Department of Homeland Security to verify U.S. citizenship and voting age. The Supreme Court ruled that a previous federal injunction blocking the order was premature because the Postal Service had not yet finalized its implementation rules. However, the justices did not rule on the underlying legality of the order itself.

Maine intends to continue using its current absentee voting processes and envelopes. Bellows indicated that legal challenges regarding the order and the constitutional authority of states to manage their own elections are expected to continue.