TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill sharply criticized a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing portions of President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting to move forward, calling the decision a threat to states’ authority over elections.
“This is a terrible decision from Trump’s Supreme Court,” Sherrill wrote on X. “States run elections, not Donald Trump. I will do everything I can to protect New Jerseyans’ right to vote – by mail and in person.”
The governor’s comments came after the Supreme Court issued a 6-3 unsigned procedural order lifting one of two federal court injunctions that had blocked implementation of Trump’s executive order directing federal agencies to restrict mail ballot delivery by the U.S. Postal Service.
Court did not decide legality of executive order
The Supreme Court’s ruling focused on procedural issues rather than the legality of the executive order itself.
The conservative majority concluded that a lawsuit filed by 23 state attorneys general challenging the order was premature, allowing parts of the administration’s implementation efforts to proceed while litigation continues.
- Gov. Mikie Sherrill criticized the Supreme Court’s procedural ruling.
- The Court did not rule on whether Trump’s executive order is constitutional.
- Additional legal challenges remain possible as the order is implemented.
Justices leave door open for future lawsuits
The Court emphasized that its decision should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the executive order’s legality.
“The Court’s disposition of this application does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful. On that score, time will tell,” the unsigned opinion stated.
Three liberal justices dissented. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson argued the decision creates uncertainty ahead of upcoming elections, while Justice Sonia Sotomayor, joined by Justice Elena Kagan, wrote that the states’ legal challenge should not have been dismissed as premature.
Can New Jersey still conduct mail-in voting? Yes. The Supreme Court’s ruling did not invalidate New Jersey’s mail-in voting laws or determine the legality of the executive order. Litigation over implementation is expected to continue.
Did the Supreme Court rule that Trump’s executive order is constitutional? No. The Court’s decision addressed procedural issues regarding the timing and legal standing of the lawsuit and expressly stated it was not deciding whether implementation of the executive order is lawful.
What did Gov. Mikie Sherrill say? Sherrill called the ruling “a terrible decision from Trump’s Supreme Court” and said she would “do everything I can to protect New Jerseyans’ right to vote – by mail and in person.”
Photo Caption: New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill criticized a U.S. Supreme Court procedural ruling involving President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting.
Sources: U.S. Supreme Court, Gov. Mikie Sherrill on X
