States to SCOTUS: Trump’s mail-voting rule would ‘wreak havoc’ this fall and disenfranchise millions

Democratic attorneys general from 23 states, the District of Columbia and Pennsylvania's governor filed briefs at the Supreme Court opposing the Trump administration's push to enforce a new Postal Service rule restricting mail-in voting before the Nov. 3 midterms. North Carolina and Wisconsin have already begun mailing ballots, and even Republican-led Utah, Florida and Ohio have warned of 'catastrophic harms.'

The rule requires pre-approved envelope designs and cross-checks of voter lists against a Homeland Security citizenship database, but the online portal meant to verify state compliance isn't ready and states hadn't yet been given access as of last week. A federal whistleblower and 17 friend-of-the-court briefs, including from bipartisan former governors and military voter groups, say the rushed rollout would disenfranchise roughly 50 million voters set to receive mail ballots.

Challengers argue the Constitution assigns election administration to the states, that Congress never gave USPS this authority, and that ballots aren't among the categories of mail the Postal Service is allowed to refuse. The White House, Postal Service and Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment.

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