US Supreme Court blocks Trump administration mail-voting rules before midterms
The reported 7-2 decision keeps the United States Postal Service from introducing new mail-ballot restrictions ahead of the November 2026 elections.
The US Supreme Court has upheld an injunction preventing the Trump administration and the United States Postal Service from implementing new mail-voting rules before the November 2026 midterm elections, according to reporting by WIRED.
The reported 7-2 decision blocks a system that would have required states to submit lists of voters eligible to receive mail-in ballots. USPS would then have verified deliveries against those lists, taking on a role it does not typically perform.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, writing in a concurring opinion with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, reportedly said the administration was unlikely to succeed in challenging the lower court’s injunction. He also said applying the rule in the 2026 elections could be arbitrary and capricious because state and local officials lacked sufficient time to implement it.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas reportedly dissented. The ruling followed an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March that required voter-list submissions to USPS and proposed new barcode and envelope requirements. Federal courts blocked most of the provisions before the administration appealed.
Mail voting had already begun in some states, while a USPS whistleblower questioned whether the agency’s online portal and wider systems were ready to support the changes. The White House and USPS reportedly did not respond to requests for comment.
The decision upholds an injunction against implementation before the midterms; the supplied report does not establish the rules’ permanent legal status after the election.
