Midterm Mail-In Voting Starts, IRS Targets DEI In Schools, ICE Officer Charged
Up First from NPR
This episode of Up First from NPR covers three major developments: the Trump administration's attempt to impose new Postal Service requirements on mail-in ballots ahead of
Key takeaways
- The Supreme Court is being asked to allow new mail-in ballot requirements that election officials say are unready and potentially illegal.
Main topics
- Mail-in voting and postal service regulations
Notable quotes
"The Justice Department is arguing that these new mail ballot requirements... is just a way for USPS to regulate mail and that this is not regulating federal elections."
Conclusion
As midterm voting begins, uncertainty looms over mail-in ballot delivery due to legal challenges and untested
Transcript preview
Speaker 1 (0:02) The Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to let it limit mail-in balloting for an election that starts today. Election officials say a new postal service system the administration wants is not ready or legal. Could eligible voters end up without a ballot? I'm Stephen Skeap with Michelle Martin, and this is Up First from NPR News. Speaker 1 (0:22) University professors are promising to fight an IRS plan to revoke tax-exempt status for schools with diversity programs. AAUP is not going to stand by and watch President Trump once again attempt to destroy the greatest system of higher education in the world. And an ICE officer is charged with lying about a Minneapolis shooting earlier this year after video contradicted his account. It's a rare prosecution of an immigration officer under President Trump. Stay with us. We'll give you news you need to start your day. This message comes from WISE, the smart way to manage your money around the world. With WISE, you can send, spend, and receive money in over 40 currencies at the mid-market rate. Learn more at WISE.com. T's and C's apply. This message comes from HomeServe. A burst pipe. A dead water heater. The A.C. calling it quits. Who do you call? Speaker 1 (1:22) HomeServe is an easy way to handle unexpected home repairs with plans covering stuff basic homeowners insurance usually won't. Instead of scrambling for a contractor, you make one call to get the repair process started. Join the millions of customers who trust HomeServe right now. Go to HomeServe.com slash podcast for 50% less your first year. Savings compared to renewal price. Boyd in Florida. The NPR app cuts through the noise, bringing you local, national, and global coverage. No paywalls, no profits, no nonsense. Download it in your app store today. Speaker 1 (2:02) The Trump administration is back at the Supreme Court to push for restrictions to mail-in voting. The administration wants the Postal Service to check mail-in ballots instead of just delivering them. Lower courts so far have blocked this effort, but the administration is still trying to apply it to the midterm election for which mail-in voting begins today. NPR's Hansi Liu Wang is back to break this all down. Good morning, Hansi. Good morning, Michelle. So this all goes back to an executive order that President Trump signed in March. But didn't the Supreme Court already rule on that order? Speaker 1 (2:32) Yes, they did just last week. But that ruling was on a procedural question about one of the lawsuits over Trump's order. And now the administration is back to ask the Supreme Court to weigh in on the legality of the Postal Service's plan to follow that order. And I should note, USPS is a financial support of NPR. And basically, the question before the court this time is, does USPS have the legal authority to refuse to deliver ballots to voters? if state election officials don't turn over to USPS, lists of mail-in voters' names and addresses, and if officials don't have certain barcodes on the ballot envelopes. Okay, so those are the requirements that the Postal Service, under the direction of the Trump administration, wants states to follow. Are any states doing all of that right now? Speaker 1 (3:17) No. And a federal judge in Boston has found those requirements for mail ballots are likely illegal because USPS has no authority to control voting by mail. So the judge blocked USPS from imposing those requirements. And that's the block the Trump administration wants the Supreme Court to lift right now. And what's the Trump administration's argument for that? The Justice Department is arguing that these new mail ballot requirements the Postal Service wants to impose on states is just a way for USPS to regulate mail and that this is not regulating federal elections, which the Constitution says are controlled by states and Congress. But the fact is Congress has passed laws that require USPS to