Judges Block Trump Mail Ballot Rule as Supreme Court Review Looms

A federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump issued a preliminary injunction late Sunday preventing the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new regulations on mail ballots ahead of the midterms. U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington, D.C., ruled that the requirements would create an increased risk that valid absentee ballots might go uncounted.

The regulations, published August 21, would mandate pre-approval of all ballot envelope designs by the Postal Service and require states to upload recipient identities into an online portal that remains inactive. Election officials have stated that rolling out such changes this close to a general election is not feasible. Nichols wrote that the public interest favors avoiding disruptions to ballot processing.

This marks the second such order. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston had previously blocked enforcement in a separate case, which the administration appealed to the Supreme Court. Nichols had denied an earlier request for an injunction in May on grounds that the challenge was premature, a position the high court referenced when it allowed Talwani's initial stay to lapse last month. Plaintiffs refiled after the formal rule appeared.

Nichols, like Talwani, focused on the practical effects of the policy rather than its underlying goals. The administration has described the measures as steps to improve oversight of mail voting. Both cases now hinge on how the Supreme Court resolves questions about timing and the scope of agency authority in election administration.

States in several regions have already begun distributing mail ballots, adding urgency to the legal proceedings. The Postal Service has not indicated how it will adjust operations while the injunctions remain in place. Further hearings are expected as the Supreme Court considers the administration's appeal from the Boston ruling.