California Governor Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that the state plans to sue the Trump administration again over new mail-in voting restrictions.
This decision follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling that allowed President Donald Trump to move forward with parts of his March executive order on elections. The court’s decision pauses a previous ruling that California and other states had won, which blocked the order.
Trump’s executive order mandates the creation of state-by-state citizenship lists and requires the U.S. Postal Service to impose new rules on mail-in ballots. The Supreme Court, in a 6-3 decision, allowed federal agencies to proceed with these plans, but did not make a final decision on the legality of the order. According to the Los Angeles Times, the court’s ruling does not conclude whether the measures will be lawful.
Governor Newsom criticized the decision, stating, “California will be suing AGAIN to block these Orwellian rules from being implemented.” California Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized that the ruling is procedural and not a final judgment on the order’s merits. He plans to file a new lawsuit soon, aiming to block the changes before the November midterms.
The Trump administration argues that these measures enhance election security, but critics, including voting rights advocates, believe they could disenfranchise voters. As reported by Axios, the court’s liberal justices dissented, warning of potential voter confusion and diminished participation.
California, where over 80% of voters use mail-in ballots, could face significant impacts from these changes. The state, along with 22 others, initially sued the administration in April, claiming the order infringed on states’ rights to manage elections. A federal judge had previously blocked key parts of the order, but the Supreme Court’s recent decision allows the administration to continue developing the policies, leaving room for further legal challenges once they are implemented.