DOJ asks Supreme Court to allow Trump’s USPS action on mail-in ballots to proceed ahead of midterm elections

Key Points:

• The Trump administration has appealed to the Supreme Court to allow a new Postal Service rule controlling mail-in ballots ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, after a federal judge blocked parts of the rule with a temporary restraining order.
• U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the rule unlawfully interferes with states' authority to regulate elections and imposes an unworkable timeline for compliance before the November 2026 elections.
• The rule requires states to submit mail ballot designs and voter information to the USPS for approval via a new electronic portal, which Talwani found would cause significant logistical challenges and potential voter disenfranchisement.
• The government argues the rule is a modest regulation of the mail aimed at preventing voter fraud, while Talwani noted the administration has not presented evidence of fraudulent mail-in voting and emphasized the risk of disenfranchisement.
• The dispute stems from a Trump executive order on election integrity, with the Supreme Court previously allowing the rule's finalization but not ruling on its legality, leaving the issue pending further appeals.