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President Trump's Executive Order on Mail-in Voting Faces Legal Challenges Ahead of Midterm Elections

President Trump's Executive Order on Mail-in Voting Faces Legal Challenges Ahead of Midterm Elections

President Trump signed Executive Order 14399 earlier this year, directing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Social Security Administration to create a nationwide list of eligible voters. The order stipulates that the United States Postal Service (USPS) would be prohibited from delivering mail-in ballots to individuals not on this list. Furthermore, the executive order mandates specific design changes for federal ballot envelopes, requiring them to bear an official Election Mail logo, a unique IMb and ballot mail STID, and be compatible with automated mail processing, having undergone USPS design review. Envelopes failing to meet these new requirements would not be delivered to voters. The order also threatens to withhold federal funding from states that do not comply with its provisions. This executive action comes weeks before the 2026 Midterm Elections, raising questions about its legality and potential impact on the voting process. A group of 24 states and the District of Columbia has fi...

Postal Service Leader David Steiner Faces Scrutiny Amidst President Trump's Mail Voting Crackdown

Postal Service Leader David Steiner Faces Scrutiny Amidst President Trump's Mail Voting Crackdown

David Steiner, the current Postmaster General, is under intense scrutiny following President Trump's executive order restricting mail ballots. Steiner quickly moved to finalize a rule implementing the measure, arguing he had little choice. However, after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the effort, Steiner stated that work had stopped on one of the plan's most controversial elements, a government portal for voter rolls. He has refused to endorse President Trump's order as sound policy, focusing instead on implementation and allowing the courts to decide. This stance has drawn criticism from both Democrats, who accuse him of being a 'Trump pawn' or 'lackey,' and some Republicans, like Senator Josh Hawley, who called for his resignation due to abandoned mail. Steiner, who was appointed by a board with a majority of President Biden's appointees, insists he is not a 'political person' and has no intention of stepping down despite the criticism. He also expressed surprise at the reception in Washington, dismissi...

Postal Service Leader David Steiner Navigates Political Pressures Amidst Trump's Mail Voting Crackdown

Postal Service Leader David Steiner Navigates Political Pressures Amidst Trump's Mail Voting Crackdown

David Steiner, the Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service, is facing scrutiny and political pressure following President Trump's executive order aimed at restricting mail voting. Steiner, who previously expressed unfavorable views of President Trump in 2007, found himself tasked with operationalizing the order. Although the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately rejected the effort, Steiner had moved to finalize a rule implementing the measure. He stated that work on a controversial government portal for voter rolls, a key element of the plan, has ceased. Steiner maintains that the Postal Service is an independent agency of the executive branch and that his focus is on implementation and allowing the courts to decide on policy matters. This situation has led to criticism from both Democrats, who accuse him of being a 'Trump lackey' or 'pawn,' and some Republicans, who have called for his resignation over unrelated service issues.

Trump's mail voting crackdown tests Postal Service leader who says he's 'not political'

Trump's mail voting crackdown tests Postal Service leader who says he's 'not political'

Before he was the top U_S_ Postal Service official, David Steiner criticized Donald Trump's leadership style after seeing him on "The Apprentice."

Trump can't force election changes by blocking counterterrorism funds to states, judge says

Trump can't force election changes by blocking counterterrorism funds to states, judge says

A federal judge is blocking the authority of President Donald Trump’s administration to withhold some federal counterterrorism funding from states that don’t meet its election administration demands

Hegseth targets 'foreign interference' in midterms with new directive

Hegseth targets 'foreign interference' in midterms with new directive

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth is having U.S. intelligence agencies join the White House efforts to maintain election security.

Judge blocks Trump from tying anti-terrorism grants to election changes

Judge blocks Trump from tying anti-terrorism grants to election changes

By Luc Cohen Sept 28 (Reuters) - A US judge blocked the Trump administration on Monday from conditioning counterterrorism funds to state and local governments on changes to election administration.

Hegseth says national security, military cyber forces will guard US election systems during midterms

Hegseth says national security, military cyber forces will guard US election systems during midterms

The U.S. National Security Agency and military intelligence forces are set to guard election systems during the November midterms

Supreme Court Lifts Restrictions on Federal Voter Eligibility Database, Granting Temporary Win to Trump Administration

Supreme Court Lifts Restrictions on Federal Voter Eligibility Database, Granting Temporary Win to Trump Administration

The Supreme Court has temporarily lifted restrictions on a federal voter eligibility database, known as the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, ahead of upcoming elections. This decision grants a temporary victory to President Trump's administration in its efforts to combat noncitizen voting. The emergency order allows states to utilize the revamped Department of Homeland Security (DHS) program to verify the eligibility of voters on their rolls. The SAVE program has faced scrutiny due to concerns about its use of sensitive personal data and its potential to incorrectly flag eligible voters as noncitizens. A federal judge had previously blocked the use of the tool, citing violations of Americans' privacy rights and the risk of wrongful voter removals. However, the Supreme Court majority found that a 1996 law permits DHS to obtain citizenship and immigration information from other federal agencies and obligates the federal government to respond to states seeking citizenship verific...

Supreme Court Revives Trump Administration's Voter-Citizenship Database Use Ahead of Midterms

Supreme Court Revives Trump Administration's Voter-Citizenship Database Use Ahead of Midterms

The U.S. Supreme Court has reinstated the Trump administration's ability to use the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) SAVE database to review state voter rolls for potential non-citizens. This decision, made less than two months before the midterm elections, overturns a lower court's June ruling that had blocked the 2025 modifications to the SAVE database. Previously, states could only search one person at a time; now, they can conduct mass checks for citizenship status on their voter rolls. Jessica Huseman, editor-in-chief of Votebeat, explained that while states can begin this process, a 90-day period required by the NVRA (a federal voting law) prevents individuals from being removed from rolls ahead of a federal election. Therefore, voters are unlikely to see immediate effects on their registration for the upcoming midterms. The SAVE database was originally designed to track non-citizens known to DHS, not specifically to police voter rolls. However, the Trump administration has transformed its use...

DHS Applauds Supreme Court Decision Upholding Voter Citizenship Verification Program

DHS Applauds Supreme Court Decision Upholding Voter Citizenship Verification Program

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has applauded a Supreme Court decision that permits the continuation of its voter citizenship verification program. On September 25, the Supreme Court, in a 6-3 ruling, allowed DHS's Modified Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program to be used for verifying the citizenship of voters. This ruling overturns a previous order issued on June 22, 2026, by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, which had attempted to halt the system's implementation. DHS had filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court following the district court's order. According to DHS General Counsel James Percival, this decision is a 'victory for election integrity,' emphasizing the administration's stance on preventing non-citizens from voting illegally. The initiative aligns with President Trump’s Executive Order 14248, 'Preserving and Protecting the Integrity of American Elections,' signed in March 2025. This order mandates that the Secretary of Homeland ...

Illinois Election Officials Reassure Public on Mail-in Voting Security Amid Early Voting Start

Illinois Election Officials Reassure Public on Mail-in Voting Security Amid Early Voting Start

Illinois state and local election officials, including Sangamon County Clerk Don Gray and Illinois State Board of Elections spokesman Matt Dietrich, have affirmed the security and integrity of the state's voting system as early in-person and mail-in voting commences. Speaking at a forum in Springfield, they addressed public concerns and dismissed claims of widespread fraud or vulnerability to hacking. Mail-in voting has seen a significant increase in popularity and is projected to account for up to one-third of all votes in the upcoming November 3 election. Illinois has successfully defended against multiple lawsuits from the Trump administration regarding access to voter registration data and control over mail-in voting, with states prevailing in these legal challenges. The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in favor of the states allowed local election authorities in Illinois to mail out ballots to those who requested them, marking the official start of early voting.