A federal appeals court in Boston has declined to allow the Trump administration to enforce an executive order tightening mail-in voting rules across 23 states, ruling 2-1 against the government ahead of the November 3 congressional elections.
The court rejected a request to lift a preliminary injunction that several Democratic-led states secured on 25 June. A lower-court judge had concluded that key provisions of the order were unconstitutional, a finding the appeals court left in place.
Donald Trump signed the executive order in March, setting off a wave of legal challenges from state attorneys general who argued the restrictions would disenfranchise voters before the midterm elections.