California Governor Gavin Newsom has pledged to initiate another lawsuit against the federal government following a Supreme Court decision that permits the Trump administration to pursue new restrictions on mail-in voting. The ruling, which Newsom characterized as "Orwellian rules," could impact mail-in ballot procedures ahead of the midterm elections.
The Supreme Court's 6-3 decision lifted a lower court injunction, allowing federal agencies to advance key components of a March executive order. This order directs the Department of Homeland Security to create state-by-state lists of eligible voters and instructs the U.S. Postal Service to develop new rules for processing mail ballots.
"The Supreme Court just let the Trump administration move ahead (for now) with its plan to disenfranchise voters across the country," Newsom stated Monday. "California will be suing AGAIN to block these Orwellian rules from being implemented."
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who is leading the legal challenge, indicated that the state intends to contest the federal actions as they are implemented. "Today, the US Supreme Court opened the door for the Trump Administration to try to make it harder for Americans to vote. But today’s decision was not a ruling on the merits, and this fight is far from over," Bonta said. "We will continue to use every legal tool at our disposal to fight back against unlawful federal overreach whenever it occurs."
California and 22 other states have argued that the federal government is overstepping its bounds and infringing on states' constitutional authority to manage elections. Bonta's office noted that the Supreme Court's decision was based on the lawsuit being filed prematurely, as federal agencies had not yet fully enacted the order. With federal agencies now proceeding, California plans to challenge these actions in court.
The implications of this ruling are particularly significant for California, where approximately 80% of voters cast ballots by mail, compared to about 30% nationwide. The proposed federal regulations could introduce new requirements concerning ballot envelopes, voter lists, and mail ballot processing.
The Supreme Court emphasized that its ruling does not validate the legality of any future rules that may be implemented. The decision arrives weeks before mail-in ballots begin to be distributed for the November midterm elections, prompting California election officials to prepare for legal battles over the federal government's ability to impose new conditions on the state's mail-voting system.