ALBANY, N.Y. (WTEN) — A federal judge is allowing President Donald Trump’s push to limit mail-in voting to move forward, clearing the way for potential restrictions come the November 3 election.
That decision came hours after a coalition of 24 Democratic states, including New York, filed a lawsuit to block a rule that would require states to provide a list of voters to the United States Postal Service.
“I think that before we get to Election Day, there will be a ruling on whether or not the executive order is constitutional,” said Greg Rinckey, a founding partner at Tully Rinckey PLLC, when referring to President Trump’s executive order on mail-in ballots issued back in March.
President Trump claims the order is to cut down on voter fraud, though he has not provided any widespread evidence of it.
The U.S. Supreme Court is allowing the president to move forward with the order, at least for now. The conservative majority handed down a procedural ruling in his favor.
“This is all made up,” Governor Kathy Hochul said. “It’s made up B.S. to try and scare people”
The governor said the order will not rewrite New York’s election laws, which permit mail-in voting. She also accused the Trump Administration of trying to “thwart” November’s election.
“This is just another tactic from individuals who see the writing on the wall that Americans have had it with their policies of harm, of hurting them, of making life more expensive and making us less safe in the world,” Hochul said.
Rinckey said he believes the Supreme Court will ultimately rule Trump’s executive order as unconstitutional.
“Under the Elections Clause in the Constitution, elections are kind of reserved mostly to the states,” he explained. “The president has very, very limited responsibility as an executive.”
