The US Supreme Court on September 14 refused to let the Trump administration enforce new Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. The Washington court left a lower court injunction in place, allowing states to continue their existing mailing procedures, according to its order and reports by Reuters and AP.
Reuters reported that the Justice Department sought to suspend an injunction issued by Boston-based Judge Indira Talwani while states and voting-rights groups challenge the rule. The Postal Service adopted the measure after President Donald Trump's March executive order. November's elections will determine control of Congress.
The rule requires states to submit lists of ballot recipients through a postal portal and use approved ballot envelopes with unique barcodes, Reuters reported. The agency could refuse noncompliant mailings or ballots for voters absent from those lists. The administration said these checks would prevent fraud; Reuters noted that evidence of such fraud is rare.
In its brief unsigned order, the court said the government was unlikely to succeed in challenging the preliminary injunction and that the balance of harms did not favor emergency relief. Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the outcome, saying the rule might fall within postal authority but election officials lacked sufficient time to implement it reasonably for 2026.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Alito argued that the government met the requirements for relief and that the Postal Service had broad regulatory powers. CNN reported that election administrators from both parties warned against late changes, including new envelope requirements after purchases and mailings had already begun.
AP reported that the decision allows established mail-ballot procedures to continue as voting is already underway. Reuters also reported a separate injunction issued by Judge Carl Nichols on September 13. The underlying legal challenges continue: Monday's action denied an emergency request to suspend an injunction, leaving the restrictions blocked as officials prepare for November.
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