A federal judge on Thursday refused to block President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting mail-in voting, handing Democrats an early defeat in a growing legal battle over election security and ballot access.
According to The Hill, U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols — a Trump appointee — ruled that Democrat groups and voting rights activists moved too soon in asking the court to stop the order before the federal government has actually implemented it.
“Given that the Executive Order does not command Plaintiffs to do anything, and that no agency has yet acted pursuant to the Order in a way that could harm Plaintiffs, they have not suffered any harm at present,” Nichols wrote in his ruling.
The executive order, signed by Trump on March 31, directs the Department of Homeland Security to create lists of adult U.S. citizens in every state. Under the order, the U.S. Postal Service would only deliver mail ballots to individuals appearing on those citizenship lists.
Democrats and voting rights organizations argued the move could disenfranchise millions of voters and claimed Trump lacks constitutional authority to regulate federal elections through executive action.
They also warned that the administration plans to rely on Social Security Administration data that may contain inaccuracies, potentially preventing eligible voters from receiving ballots.
Nichols, however, said those concerns remain speculative for now because the administration has not yet finalized or implemented the system.
“The Court recognizes that the Postal Service may ultimately issue a final rule that directly affects Plaintiffs or their members,” Nichols wrote, adding that Democrats could renew their request for an injunction later if the order begins causing specific harm.
Trump has defended the executive order as a necessary step to enforce existing federal voting laws and strengthen election integrity.
The order gives states and individuals opportunities to correct errors on the citizenship lists before federal elections, with updated data required to be sent to states within 60 days of Election Day.
The ruling marks an early courtroom victory for Trump as Democrats continue challenging several election-related actions from his administration.
Trump has repeatedly argued that mail-in voting creates opportunities for fraud, while election officials and voting experts maintain that widespread voter fraud remains rare.
Still, mail voting has become a flashpoint in national politics since the 2020 election, with Democrats generally embracing expanded absentee voting while Republicans push for tighter safeguards and voter verification requirements.
