Judge blocks key part of Trump's elections overhaul

What happened

U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly Thursday blocked a significant portion of an executive order President Donald Trump signed to change how U.S. elections are run, ruling that the Constitution "entrusts Congress and the states — not the president — with the authority to regulate federal elections." Her decision temporarily bars federal officials from requiring Americans to prove they are citizens to register to vote.

Who said what

A proof-of-citizenship requirement "is contrary to the manifest will of Congress," Kollar-Kotelly said in her 120-page ruling, and government lawyers provided "almost no defense of the president’s order on the merits." She declined to block the part of Trump's order aiming to force states to count only absentee and mail-in ballots that arrive by Election Day, saying that challenge was better dealt with in a separate lawsuit before a different judge.

Kollar-Kotelly's ruling was one of a "rapid-fire series of court losses" for Trump this week on "immigration, elections and its crackdown on diversity, equity and inclusion programs in schools," The Associated Press said.

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What next?

The ruling "diminishes Trump's chances" of successfully changing voting forms ahead of next year's midterm elections, which will "determine whether Republicans maintain narrow control of Congress," said The Washington Post. While the House recently passed legislation conforming to Trump's executive order, it's "unclear if the Senate will act on it."