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Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Mail Ballot Rules Again
Confirmed
In Short: A federal judge has extended her block of new U.S. Postal Service mail ballot rules, prompting the Trump administration to file another emergency appeal to the Supreme Court.
Judge Indira Talwani's latest order blocks the implementation of the rules, which mandate nationwide mail ballot design and review requirements, finding them likely unconstitutional. The dispute now heads to the Supreme Court, which had previously been asked to weigh in on Talwani's preliminary injunction.
Judge Talwani wrote in her Friday opinion that the rules, which require states to report voter information to the USPS, threaten to disenfranchise millions of citizens who seek to vote by mail. The decision comes as some states have already begun mailing ballots for the fall election.
While the Supreme Court weighs in, local and state officials are urging voters to plan to vote early and use non-mail voting options such as drop-boxes and in-person voting sites. Some counties are exploring pop-up stations for voters to request and submit ballots.
What's confirmed
- Judge Indira Talwani's latest order blocks the implementation of the rules, which mandate nationwide mail ballot design and review requirements, finding them likely unconstitutional. The dispute now heads to the Supreme Court, which had previously been asked to weigh in on Talwani's preliminary injunction.
- Judge Talwani wrote in her Friday opinion that the rules, which require states to report voter information to the USPS, threaten to disenfranchise millions of citizens who seek to vote by mail. The decision comes as some states have already begun mailing ballots for the fall election.
- While the Supreme Court weighs in, local and state officials are urging voters to plan to vote early and use non-mail voting options such as drop-boxes and in-person voting sites. Some counties are exploring pop-up stations for voters to request and submit ballots.
What's still developing
- The Trump administration on Sunday filed another emergency appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to immediately implement new U.S. Postal Service mail ballot rules for November.
- The application is not meaningfully different from the request the administration filed on Sept. 3, but comes in response to the federal judge handling the legal battle over new U.S. Postal Service mail ballot rules extending her block of the rules for the November midterm elections in an order issued on Friday, again finding them likely unlawful.
- Trump, who has pushed unfounded claims of widespread mail ballot fraud, wants states to report to USPS basic voter information, such as a voter's name and home address, attached to a unique barcode on every mail-in ballot distributed.
- Postal workers would then only deliver ballots addressed to voters who appear on the state-provided list.
- The Supreme Court is weighing President Trump’s plan to limit universal mail-in voting with just seven weeks until the November election.
- And yes, it’s still safe and generally reliable, although county election officials are urging voters to send in their ballots as early as possible ahead of the Nov. 3 election.
- Although county registrars are monitoring the court rulings, they’re also preparing to mail ballots as usual by the state’s Oct. 5 deadline.
- Trump issued an executive order in March that sought to give the federal government control over who receives mail-in ballots.