Democratic States Sue Over Trump's Mail-In Voting Order
Listen to the story
Two dozen Democratic-led US states have filed a lawsuit to stop the postal service from following part of President Trump's mail-in voting order.
Mail-in voting allows people to send their vote through the post instead of going to a voting location in person.
The lawsuit was filed just days after the supreme court lifted an injunction that had been blocking part of Trump's order.
An injunction is a court decision that temporarily stops an action from taking place until a further ruling is made.
By lifting the injunction, the supreme court allowed the blocked part of the order to move forward again.
The states, which are led by Democratic officials, disagree with how the order affects mail-in ballots handled by the postal service.
The Democratic Party is one of the two main political parties in the United States.
The postal service is the government agency responsible for delivering mail, including ballots sent by voters.
A ballot is the official paper or form that a person uses to cast their vote.
The states are asking the courts to step in again and stop the postal service from carrying out this part of the order.
This dispute is part of a wider ongoing disagreement between Trump's administration and Democratic-led states over how elections are run.
Elections are the process by which citizens choose their leaders through voting.
The case is expected to continue moving through the courts, and further rulings may follow in the coming days.
Vocabulary8 words
- lawsuit
- a case brought to a court for a decision
- mail-in voting
- a way of voting by sending your ballot through the post
- supreme court
- the highest court in a country
- injunction
- a court order that stops an action for a while
- Democratic
- belonging to one of the two main US political parties
- postal service
- the official service that delivers mail
- ballots
- the papers people use to vote
- elections
- the process of choosing leaders by voting
Quiz
Answer key
1. To stop the postal service from following part of Trump's order 2. Lifted an injunction blocking part of the order 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
Two dozen Democratic-led US states have filed a _____ to stop the postal service.
Mail-in voting allows people to send their vote through the _____.
The lawsuit was filed days after the _____ court lifted an injunction.
An _____ is a court decision that temporarily stops an action.
By lifting the injunction, the supreme court allowed the blocked part of the _____ to move forward.
The states, led by _____ officials, disagree with the order.
The postal service delivers mail, including _____ sent by voters.
A _____ is the official paper used to cast a vote.
The states are asking courts to stop the postal service from carrying out this part of the _____.
This dispute is part of a wider disagreement over how _____ are run.
Discussion questions
- Why might Democratic states be concerned about changes to mail-in voting rules?
- What role does the postal service play in elections?
- Why do court injunctions matter in political disputes like this one?
- How might this legal case affect future elections?
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