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Judge again blocks Trump’s effort to restrict mail voting as ballots start going out
NBC News • • general
Key Points:
- A federal judge, Indira Talwani, temporarily blocked a new U.S. Postal Service rule aimed at controlling mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, ruling the rule likely unlawful and unconstitutional due to its rushed implementation timeline.
- Talwani found that the rule could lead to widespread voter disenfranchisement by imposing impractical requirements on states, such as advance USPS approval of mail ballot designs and uploading voter data to a new portal, with insufficient time to comply.
- The judge rejected the Justice Department's request to pause her injunction during an appeal and clarified the ruling applies only to the 2026 midterms, allowing states to voluntarily follow the new rule if they choose.
- The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn Talwani's order, arguing that the judge's injunction causes confusion and that the rule changes are modest and necessary to ensure election integrity.
- North Carolina began mailing ballots under its current system, with state officials warning that a Supreme Court decision favoring the administration could disrupt orderly elections.
