A federal judge blocks Trump mail-in voting restrictions involving USPS, expanding a court order nationwide ahead of the 2026 midterms.
A federal judge has blocked the Trump mail-in voting plan involving the U.S. Postal Service, handing President Donald Trump another legal setback ahead of November’s midterm elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday preventing the Postal Service from implementing key parts of Trump’s executive order aimed at tightening rules for voting by mail.
The ruling expands an earlier injunction that applied to 23 mostly Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C. The latest order prevents the disputed USPS measures from taking effect nationwide ahead of the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, which will decide control of Congress.
Trump signed Executive Order 14399 on March 31. The order instructed federal agencies to introduce several changes affecting federal elections and mail-in voting.
Trump Mail-In Voting Plan Blocked Nationwide
Among the proposed measures, the order directed the Postmaster General to create new rules for mail-in and absentee ballots. It called for official election-mail markings, unique barcodes and state-specific lists identifying voters participating in mail voting.
Under the proposal, USPS would only transmit ballots for voters whose names appeared on the relevant state list.
The White House said the measures were designed to strengthen election integrity and improve voter eligibility checks.
However, Democratic-led states and voting-rights groups challenged the order. They argued that Trump had exceeded presidential authority and interfered with election powers assigned to states and Congress under the U.S. Constitution.
Talwani previously blocked major parts of the order in June. The First U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals later declined to suspend that ruling while the administration continued its appeal.
Legal Fight Is Not Over
The Trump administration has taken the dispute to the U.S. Supreme Court, asking the justices to allow the measures to take effect while litigation continues.
For now, however, the Trump mail-in voting plan remains blocked nationwide.
The ruling means USPS cannot implement the challenged restrictions ahead of the midterms unless a higher court intervenes.
With control of Congress at stake and Election Day approaching, the legal battle over Trump’s voting rules could remain a major issue in the final months of the campaign.
