US Judge partially blocks Trump’s order for election reform

A United States federal judge has partially blocked an executive order signed by President Donald Trump aimed at imposing sweeping election reforms, marking another legal hurdle for the Trump administration’s agenda.

Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly on Thursday issued a preliminary injunction halting the enforcement of a key provision in the order that would have required voters to present proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote at the state level. The executive order, signed in late March, targeted mail-in voting procedures and threatened to withhold federal funding from states that failed to comply.

In her 120-page ruling, Kollar-Kotelly wrote that the plaintiffs — including the Democratic Party — are “substantially likely to prevail” on the merits of the case. “Our Constitution entrusts Congress and the States — not the President — with the authority to regulate federal elections,” she stated.

However, the judge did not block another portion of the executive order mandating that states impose a deadline for receiving mail-in ballots to coincide with the closing of polls on Election Day.

While U.S. citizenship is a requirement to vote in federal elections, most states allow for various methods of verification and do not universally require voters to provide documentation proving their status. Critics of the executive order have argued that it represents a federal overreach and risks disenfranchising voters.

Legal scholars, including UCLA law professor Richard Hasen, have criticised the measure as an “executive power grab,” warning that it could impact millions of voters and undermine the decentralized nature of the U.S. electoral system. In a blog post, Hasen described the order as “dangerous,” particularly in light of Trump’s continued claims of election fraud following his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election — claims that have been widely discredited.

Since returning to the presidency on January 20, Trump has issued numerous executive orders, many of which have faced immediate legal opposition. On the same day as Kollar-Kotelly’s ruling, another federal judge blocked a separate Trump directive attempting to cut federal funds to “sanctuary cities” that offer protections to undocumented immigrants.