WA mail ballot rule blocked by judge, state official reacts
OLYMPIA - A federal court judge granted a temporary restraining order on the Trump administration's new mail-in ballot executive order. This order puts the U.S. Postal Service rule on hold ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm election.
The decision came after Washington Attorney General Nick Brown co-led a 25-state coalition that filed a lawsuit requesting the order Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.
While the decision provides temporary relief for voters and election officials in our state — which has almost exclusively voted by mail since 2011 — it could be appealed back to the Supreme Court.
Keep reading to learn more about the temporary hold and what Washington's Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said.
Coalition challenges postal service rules in court
What we know:
A 25-state coalition is suing the U.S. Postal Service over its new mail-in voting rules, calling them unconstitutional.
State officials argue the requirements violate federal voting rights and voter privacy, placing tens of millions of mail-in voters at risk.
What President Trump claims mail-in voting leads to
The other side:
On the other hand, President Trump has claimed multiple times that mail-in voting leads to widespread voter fraud, though these claims have yet to be supported by evidence.
WA Secretary of State issues statement
What they're saying:
WA's Secretary of State Steve Hobbs issued a statement Friday morning, emphasizing the relief the decision provides for the state, for voters and for election officials.
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Judge again blocks Trump administration's attempt to restrict mail-in ballots
A federal judge stalled President Donald Trump’s order limiting mail-in voting, creating a legal roadblock before midterm ballots go out to voters.
"I will continue fighting this administration’s efforts to dismantle vote-by-mail elections and disenfranchise voters," Hobbs said. "Elections are the lynchpin of our democracy, and my office remains dedicated to ensuring every voter can participate and make their voice heard."
Restrictions within the U.S. Postal Service's new mail-in ballot rule
The backstory:
On March 31, President Trump issued an executive order directing the USPS to transmit mail ballots only to voters on a national list that showed eligibility.
The rule itself has a number of complex implementations, requiring states to register every mail-in eligible voter through the USPS, along with the USPS's task of organizing state-specific lists of registered voters.
New envelope designs would also be required for states, and would need to be approved by the USPS.
If a voter's name is not on the registered voter lists, USPS would not be able to deliver their ballot, nor would they be able to deliver ballots to states that do not meet the envelope design requirements.
Why you should care:
"Plaintiff states have neither time nor funds to design new mail ballots, seek approval of the new designs, order production of mail ballots, update their own election management systems, train election officials to use the USPS portal and upload citizen data to the portal, all before the midterms," U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani wrote Thursday, as reported by the Associated Press.
At a Wednesday press conference, AG Brown contextualized the rule for Washington voters. He noted that the USPS estimate of one minute per ballot translates to a cumulative nine-and-a-half years of processing time.
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WA's AG Nick Brown co-leads 24-state lawsuit against USPS ballot rules
WA joined a coalition suing USPS over mail-in ballot regulations.
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WA sues USPS over mail-in ballots—here's why
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The Source: Information in this story came from a press release from the Associated Press, WA Secretary of State, the National Conference of State Legislatures and Wednesday's press conference with WA Attorney General Nick Brown.