OLYMPIA — Today, the United States Supreme Court stayed one of two injunctions that prevented the federal government from implementing new regulations on mail-in voting ahead of the November General Election.
The Court did not rule on the merits or constitutionality of the President’s actions. Instead, it determined that the states’ injunction was premature because the final rule had not been published yet.
“The Office of the Secretary of State remains committed to defending Washington’s constitutional authority to administer our elections,” said Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs. “These actions are an unconstitutional intrusion into state-run elections, and we will continue to fight them.”
The U.S. Postal Service is set to publish its final rule on Wednesday. The full text is available now for public review. A separate injunction currently prevents USPS from implementing the rule for the November election, but if that injunction is also removed, it will go into effect immediately.
The final rule would place significant burdens on county elections offices and the Office of the Secretary of State ahead of the upcoming midterm elections.
The Nov. 3 General Election is less than three months away.
“These last-minute requirements would place significant burdens on state and county election officials at a time when our resources are already strained,” said Hobbs. “Our focus should be on administering a secure, accurate, and accessible election for Washington voters, not implementing unnecessary federal requirements just weeks before ballots are mailed. We will continue to fight these unconstitutional actions to ensure that elections in Washington are free and fair.”