Court Permanently Blocks Trump Election Order

Federal Judge Denise Casper permanently blocked most of President Donald Trump's first executive order on elections on Wednesday. Among other things, the order would have required voters to provide proof of US citizenship when registering, limited the counting of certain mail-in ballots and made federal funding contingent on compliance with the new rules.

Casper, sitting in Boston, ruled that Trump had overstepped his authority. In her view, the US Constitution entrusts the authority to set election rules to individual states and Congress, not to the president. She also rejected the administration's argument that the lawsuit filed by Democratic attorneys general was premature, since the measures had not yet been implemented.

New York Attorney General Letitia James welcomed the decision, describing Trump's actions as an unconstitutional attempt to take control of the election.

This is the latest in a series of legal defeats for the Trump administration in disputes over election rules. The president has also signed another executive order aimed at creating a national voter registry and restricting mail-in voting, a measure that is likewise facing several lawsuits.

(AP, Lud)