Federal Judge Permanently Blocks Trump Proof-of-Citizenship Voting Requirement

A federal judge in Massachusetts barred the Trump administration from enforcing part of an executive order that sought to require proof of citizenship to vote in elections.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

A federal judge on Wednesday permanently blocked the Trump administration from enforcing part of President Donald Trump’s executive order requiring voters to provide proof of citizenship before casting ballots in elections.

U.S. District Judge Denise L. Casper of the District of Massachusetts issued the order, converting an earlier preliminary injunction into a permanent ban on the administration’s effort.

Casper ruled that the Constitution and federal law do not give the president direct authority over election administration.

“Our Constitution vests control over federal elections in the States, subject to some oversight by Congress,” Casper wrote.

The judge said the president’s general executive authority does not extend to the specific election powers asserted in the order.

“While the Constitution vests the President with ‘executive power’ and commands him to ‘take Care that the Laws be faithfully executed,’ it does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Casper wrote.

The ruling blocks the administration from implementing the proof-of-citizenship voting requirement that Trump signed last year as part of a broader election overhaul.

Casper had already temporarily halted many of those measures through a preliminary injunction issued a year ago. Wednesday’s order makes that prohibition permanent.