Federal Court Halts Trump's Election Overhaul Efforts

A Boston federal judge has issued a pivotal preliminary injunction against former President Donald Trump's extensive executive order on federal elections. The ruling, made by U.S. District Judge Denise Casper, prevents the administration from enacting provisions requiring U.S. citizenship proof by voters and prohibiting states from counting mail-in ballots received after Election Day.

The case, brought forward by 19 Democratic-led states, contends that Trump's March 25 executive order exceeds presidential authority by dictating changes to federal elections and state voting procedures. This lawsuit is among several nationwide contests to Trump's directive, which followed his baseless claims of widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election.

This ruling in Boston expands on an earlier decision by another federal judge in Washington. While the previous ruling had narrowly targeted changes to voter registration forms, Casper's judgment invalidated broader components of Trump's order, reinforcing that election statutes mandate only that votes be cast by Election Day, not received.

(With inputs from agencies.)