Following a ruling by a US District Court judge in April that prohibited some of Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at election integrity, a collective of 19 Democratic Attorneys General has successfully found a Second District Court judge to halt additional significant aspects of the order. These provisions, which mandate proof of citizenship for voter registration, also include measures intended to improve security for overseas ballots and ensure that votes are counted on election day rather than becoming stalled for weeks.
The law stipulates that only US citizens are eligible to vote in federal elections. However, left-leaning Massachusetts Judge Dennis J. Casper ruled on Friday that voters should not be required to provide proof of citizenship through documents like state-issued photo IDs, passports, driver’s licenses, or military IDs.
Judge Casper, alongside 19 states led by Democrats, is challenging President Donald Trump’s executive order that mandates documentary proof of citizenship for voting in federal elections. The states involved in this case include California, Nevada, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Wisconsin.
The lawsuit initiated by the states seeks to block Trump’s order and directs the Federal Election Assistance Commission (EAC) to incorporate documentary proof of citizenship requirements into federal voter registration. State employees are expected to verify citizenship before allowing applicants to register for voting when they apply for public assistance programs. (Individuals receiving public aid will automatically get a federal voter registration card when they apply for the service.)
This executive order encompasses other elements, such as stipulating that the Attorney General counts absentee or mail-in ballots received on election day in the final vote tally, and it allows for lawsuits against states implementing measures that require citizenship verification for overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). However, Judge Casper has blocked these provisions as well.
In April, US District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly prohibited the key proof requirements for federal voter registration applications. According to Politico, “Another provision mandates that federal agencies refrain from assisting individuals in registering unless their citizenship can be verified.” While she allowed the election day deadline and UOCAVA’s citizenship requirements to remain, Democrats have adeptly navigated the legal system to secure a favorable ruling that could have national implications for election integrity.
Judge Casper issued a preliminary injunction, effectively blocking Trump’s order from taking effect and indicating that the states are likely to prevail in ongoing court proceedings. She noted that implementing stricter voter ID laws could cause irreparable harm to the states, given the complexity and costs involved.
“The executive order necessitates that states promptly update their voter registration processes and databases, issue new guidance, and conduct a public education campaign to mitigate the confusion and disenfranchisement caused by these changes,” Casper stated in her opinion. I wrote.
Currently, the federal voter registration form requires voters to affirm through the “standard oath” that they are US citizens simply by checking a box. Yet, wrongdoers have employed much more sophisticated methods to commit electoral fraud. However, Judge Casper did not seem swayed by this reality.
“At present, the administrative agencies contend that this ‘standard oath’ cannot supplant evidence of eligibility. Instead, the Enforcement Department asserts that this standard is merely a mechanism holding the applicant accountable for the truthfulness of all claims made in the required application documents.”
Remarkably, Judge Casper, the first black female judge appointed to the federal bench in Massachusetts, argued that requiring individuals to provide proof of citizenship would impose an excessive financial burden on black citizens, citing costs up to $165 for a Rhode Island passport and $22 for a birth certificate in Providence.
“For this reason, along with others,” Casper articulated. Her opinion was noted in an article published by the Brennan Center, a nonprofit organization involved in the prevention of meaningful voter identification laws.
Unfortunately, it seems that Democrats have devised an effective strategy to undermine both election integrity and Trump’s broader agenda. As they navigate through various jurisdictions, a leftist district court judge’s victory in one venue could lead to setbacks for Americans nationwide.
Beth Blerge is a federalist election correspondent and an award-winning investigative journalist with decades of media experience.
Source: thefederalist.com