The US Department of Justice has asked the Supreme Court to allow President Donald Trump’s executive order restricting mail-in voting to take effect while legal challenges continue. The request could affect election administration before November’s midterm elections and raises a broader constitutional dispute over whether a president can direct changes to voting rules traditionally set by states and Congress.

The order, signed in March, directs federal agencies to create state lists of citizens eligible to vote and would limit postal ballots to people on those lists. Lower courts blocked key provisions in 23 states and Washington, DC, after Democratic-led states argued that the administration lacked authority; the Justice Department is seeking an emergency pause on those rulings.