(Photo by SeongJoon Cho/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Donald Trumps latest move to shake up federal voting rules just ran into a serious snag. A federal judge blocked his plan to require documentary proof of citizenship on voter registration forms. Now, the ruling raises questions about whats next for Trumps efforts and how far the courts are willing to let him go, leaving the publicand political insiderson edge.
Last week, a federal judge ruled that Donald Trump’s push to require documentary proof of citizenship on voter registration forms cannot be enforced. This marked a setback for the president and his allies, who argued the move was necessary to secure election integrity.
US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly in Washington, D.C., sided with Democratic and civil rights groups that sued the Trump administration over the executive order. In her ruling, she called the proof-of-citizenship directive an unconstitutional overreach, claiming that the Constitution assigns responsibility for such to the states and Congressnot the President.
Because our Constitution assigns responsibility for election regulation to the States and to Congress, this Court holds that the President lacks the authority to direct such changes, Kollar-Kotelly shared.
The ruling permanently bars the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, which had been considering adding the citizenship requirement to the federal voter form, from taking any action to implement the change. Plaintiffs received a partial summary judgment, ensuring the mandate cannot go into effect.
Additionally, the lawsuit from the Democratic National Committee and civil rights organizations isnt over yet. The judge will continue to hear challenges related to Trumps executive order, including rules about mail-in ballots needing to be received by election day, not just postmarked. Other states, like Washington and Oregon, have also filed separate suits against the order.
Trump has been staying in the headlines lately. Most recently, he sparked reactions due to food stamps. On Friday, a federal judge ordered the U.S. Department of Agriculture to release SNAP funds as soon as possible, tapping into contingency funds if needed, after another judge ruled the Trump administrations plan to pause payments starting November 1 was flat-out unlawful. Judge John McConnell didnt hold back, stressing that millions of families could face irreparable harm if the money stayed locked away. Additionally, he mentioned that saving funds for hypothetical disasters shouldnt come before feeding Americans in real time.
