U.S. Supreme Court blocks Postal Service rule limiting mail‑in ballots

The U.S. Supreme Court on September 14 declined to allow the Postal Service to enforce a newly adopted rule that would tighten restrictions on mail‑in ballots. The Court denied the Justice Department’s request to lift a preliminary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston, which had blocked the Postal Service from implementing the measure while related lawsuits by states and voting‑rights groups continue.

The rule, introduced after President Donald Trump issued an executive order in March aimed at tightening mail‑voting procedures, would require states to submit lists of mail ballot recipients to the Postal Service and to use agency‑approved outbound and return envelopes for ballot mailings. A separate ruling by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols in Washington on September 13 also found the rule unlawful.

Two of the Court’s conservative justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, dissented from the majority decision. In their dissent, they wrote that the Trump administration “is likely to succeed on the merits of its appeal,” indicating that the justices believed the rule could be upheld if the case proceeds to a full hearing.

The decision represents a setback for the Trump administration’s effort to limit mail‑in voting ahead of the November midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Restricting mail ballots is viewed by Republicans as a strategy to curb a voting method that, according to various surveys, is used disproportionately by Democratic voters.

The Supreme Court’s refusal to lift the injunction leaves the existing injunction in place, meaning the Postal Service cannot enforce the new requirements while the pending legal challenges are resolved. The outcome will shape how mail‑in ballots are processed in the upcoming election cycle.