In an era when a single remark from Trump can send ripples through the global economy and financial markets, keeping up with the constant stream of Trump-related news can be overwhelming. That is where the "One Trump a Day" newsletter comes in. Starting at 5 a.m., The Herald Business's international desk quickly curates everything from Wall Street's closing figures to the key Trump news likely to move global asset markets, delivering it all in a read that takes just one minute. One minute on the commute, during a solo meal, or before bed — subscribers can stay a step ahead. The "One Trump a Day" newsletter can be subscribed to on The Herald Business's website.

US President Donald Trump (AP)
US President Donald Trump (AP)

The Trump administration's push to restrict mail-in voting has been blocked again, this time by a federal appeals court, after a federal district court had already halted it.

A US federal appeals court on Thursday (local time) upheld a preliminary injunction issued by a federal district court in Massachusetts that had blocked the mail-in voting restriction.

The legal fight began after the US Postal Service, acting on President Donald Trump's executive order, issued a rule saying it would not deliver mail-in ballots from states that either failed to submit voter lists or did not receive prior approval for their ballot envelope formats.

Civic groups and some state governments filed a lawsuit against the measure. They argued that if it took effect ahead of the November midterm elections, it would create chaos at polling operations and infringe on voters' voting rights. Last month, the federal district court sided with the plaintiffs and issued a preliminary injunction blocking the Postal Service's mail-in voting restriction.

That day, the appeals panel also backed the plaintiffs' argument that the president has no authority to regulate individual states' election policies. The panel said the Trump administration had failed to provide grounds to allay concerns that the policy could cause confusion and widespread disenfranchisement.

The panel added that the administration "failed to show that the district court erred" in finding that the Postal Service's final rule was likely unlawful. It also noted that the government had failed to present any evidence of past voter fraud that would justify the measure.

However, the final ruling on the measure's validity may ultimately come from the Supreme Court.

The Trump administration filed an emergency application for a stay with the Supreme Court on Sept. 3, after the Massachusetts federal district court issued its ruling.

Earlier, in June, the federal district court had also issued a preliminary injunction against the Postal Service's measure, and a federal appeals court upheld that injunction last month. At the time, however, the Supreme Court ruled in the Trump administration's favor, citing the absence of specific implementing rules.

After the Postal Service subsequently announced its detailed rules, an identical lawsuit was filed, and both the federal district court and the appeals court have now issued the same ruling against the measure.


mokiya@heraldcorp.com