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Appeals court allows USPS to move forward with Trump’s anti-mail voting order, for now
Democracy Docket • • nation
Key Points:
- A federal appeals court temporarily reinstated the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to proceed with a Trump-backed rule that could significantly limit mail voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
- The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals paused a lower court order that blocked USPS from implementing the proposed mail ballot rule while the legal case continues.
- The rule requires states to provide USPS with voter and barcode information for mail-in ballots, enabling USPS to verify and potentially refuse to deliver ballots not on approved lists, raising concerns among voting rights advocates.
- The NAACP challenged the rule, citing a 2021 settlement requiring USPS to prioritize election mail delivery, but the appeals court found USPS likely to succeed in arguing the challenge is premature and the rule may not violate the settlement.
- The ruling allows USPS to move forward with the rule temporarily but does not resolve the overall legality of the proposal, which remains under judicial review.
