Federal Judge Permits Postal Service to Proceed with Mail‑In Voting Restrictions Pending Further Review

The Postal Service may now advance its plan to limit mail‑in voting before the November midterm elections, after a federal judge on Wednesday lifted an injunction that had prevented the Trump administration’s directive from taking effect.

Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court explained that she felt obliged to act following a Supreme Court ruling on Monday that deemed judicial intervention premature.

She added that she would revisit the matter once the plaintiffs amend their arguments to reflect the Postal Service’s concrete implementation of President Trump’s executive order, and she predicted that the challengers could present “substantial arguments that might persuade the Supreme Court to reach a different conclusion.”

Accordingly, a coalition of Democratic‑led states filed a new lawsuit on Wednesday challenging the administration’s mail‑in ballot initiative, contending that the Postal Service’s Friday actions to finalize the plan will harm them and their voters, thereby rendering the dispute suitable for judicial review.

The Supreme Court on Monday held that it was premature for states and other litigants to challenge the administration, noting that none had yet suffered harm from the federal government or encountered unlawful interference with their balloting. However, the Court did not consider the Postal Service’s recent actions when reaching that conclusion.

Under the new policy, the Postal Service would withhold delivery of mail ballots in states that refuse to share voter data with the agency, and would only deliver ballots that satisfy specific criteria.

In the lawsuit, the states contend that the Postal Service’s plan links mail‑ballot delivery to a state’s willingness to assist federal scrutiny of voter rolls, thereby causing them harm. They argue that, under the Constitution, election rules are set by states and Congress, not the executive branch.

The lawsuit asserts, “Congress has never granted the U.S. Postal Service any authority to establish rules for federal elections or mail voting, despite Americans having used mail‑in ballots for generations.”

The suit characterizes the Postal Service’s policy as “part of a broader effort by the president and his administration to rewrite federal election law and seize authority that belongs to the states and Congress.”

In March, President Trump issued an executive order aimed at restricting mail‑in ballots and directing the creation of state‑by‑state lists of citizens to assist in determining voting eligibility.

The order directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile those citizenship lists and forward them to each state.

Under the plan finalized on Friday, the Postal Service would examine every envelope for compliance with the new standards before accepting ballots into its system, verifying that the recipient is enrolled with the Postal Service to receive a mail‑in ballot and that the envelope meets the required specifications.

Numerous voting advocacy groups have warned that the federal government’s voter‑eligibility lists are prone to errors stemming from outdated data and may clash with more current state‑maintained voter rolls. In court, the Justice Department also conceded that data mismatches could cause eligible voters to be flagged as noncitizens and have their ballots rejected by the Postal Service.

A coalition of more than 20 state attorneys general, joined by Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D), initially challenged the order in the U.S. District Court in Boston in April, a challenge that culminated in the Supreme Court’s Monday ruling.

The same coalition filed the new lawsuit on Wednesday, also in Boston, where a separate challenge to the mail‑in voting restrictions—brought by the League of Women Voters and other nonprofit organizations—remains pending. On Tuesday, Judge Talwani ruled that she had previously barred the Postal Service from implementing any rule changes under Mr. Trump’s order that could affect the November midterms, and she characterized the new rule as a violation of that earlier injunction.

Either lawsuit could proceed swiftly through the courts, potentially prompting further Supreme Court action in the coming weeks as states prepare to administer elections that are just over two months away.

For years, President Trump has sought to discredit mail‑in voting as prone to fraud and to limit its use; critics contend his broader aim is to sow confusion and erode confidence in the electoral process.

A range of groups—including Democratic state attorneys general, the League of Women Voters, and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee—have filed suit to block the executive order and the new restrictions, arguing they would suppress voter turnout and create chaos ahead of a pivotal election.

Letitia James, New York’s attorney general, remarked, “Across the country, states are already deep into preparations for the 2026 elections. Now, at the eleventh hour, the federal government is attempting to interfere with those preparations and could jeopardize the voting rights of countless Americans.”

Abbie VanSickle contributed reporting.

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