Members of Congress urge Supreme Court to block mail-in voting order

A bipartisan group of 261 current and former members of Congress has filed an amicus brief with the Supreme Court to block an executive order and a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule regarding mail-in and absentee ballots. The group argues that the directives are unconstitutional, asserting that the Executive Branch is encroaching on the primary authority of states and the paramount authority of Congress under the Constitution’s Elections Clause.

The legal dispute follows an attempt by the Trump administration to require the USPS to reject mail ballots unless states meet specific requirements. While the Supreme Court previously overturned a temporary restraining order on procedural grounds, a federal district court judge, Indira Talwani, subsequently issued a ruling blocking the order. The administration has since asked the Supreme Court to block that new ruling. Critics and legal experts argue the administration's actions attempt to bypass the constitutional framework that grants states and Congress, rather than the President, the power to regulate the manner of federal elections.