A federal judge in Boston blocked key provisions of President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots, including an effort to create federal voter lists tied to election mail delivery.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
A federal judge on Thursday blocked major parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots, ruling against provisions aimed at creating federal voter lists and changing how the U.S. Postal Service handles election mail.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, a Boston-based Obama appointee, halted portions of Trump’s March 2025 order after Democratic state attorneys general challenged the policy in court.
Trump signed Executive Order 14248, titled “Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,” as part of his administration’s broader push to tighten federal election rules.
“Free, fair, and honest elections unmarred by fraud, errors, or suspicion are fundamental to maintaining our constitutional Republic. The right of American citizens to have their votes properly counted and tabulated, without illegal dilution, is vital to determining the rightful winner of an election,” the executive order said.
The order argued that state governments must follow federal election laws intended to protect voting rights and prevent illegal voting, fraud and errors.
“Under the Constitution, State governments must safeguard American elections in compliance with Federal laws that protect Americans’ voting rights and guard against dilution by illegal voting, discrimination, fraud, and other forms of malfeasance and error. Yet the United States has not adequately enforced Federal election requirements that, for example, prohibit States from counting ballots received after Election Day or prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote,” the order said.
Trump also cited federal statutes barring foreign nationals from participating in federal elections.
“Several Federal laws, including 18 U.S.C. 1015 and 611, prohibit foreign nationals from registering to vote or voting in Federal elections,” Trump said.
Talwani ruled Thursday that the president does not have direct constitutional authority over election administration.
“The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections,” Talwani said.
The ruling blocks implementation of key parts of the order, including Trump’s directive to create federal voter lists and his instruction that the Postal Service deliver mail ballots only to certain people appearing on those lists.
NBC News reported that Talwani found the executive order’s planned intervention in state-run elections unconstitutional.
“A federal judge on Thursday blocked the implementation of key parts of President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail voting, declaring the plans to intervene in state-run elections unconstitutional,” NBC News reported.
“Trump’s March executive order directed the creation of federal lists of voters and asked the Postal Service to only deliver mail ballots to certain people on those lists,” the report said.
The decision marks another legal setback for Trump’s election-related executive order ahead of the midterm elections.
On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, also a Boston-based Obama appointee, permanently barred Trump from enforcing a separate provision of the order that required proof of citizenship when registering to vote.
Casper also wrote that the Constitution “does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.”
The Justice Department is expected to appeal.
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