Boston judge widens injunction against USPS implementation of Trump mail-voting directive

A federal judge in Boston has broadened a court-ordered injunction that stops the Postal Service from executing a key component of President Trump's executive order aimed at limiting mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections. The ruling, issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani on Tuesday, extends the earlier June injunction, which had applied only to 23 states and the District of Columbia, to all states across the country.

Talwani, a former Obama administration nominee, said the voting-rights groups that sought the expansion are likely to demonstrate that the presidential order exceeds constitutional authority and is creating confusion among voters. Under the contested directive, the Postal Service would be required to compile lists of eligible voters in each state and deliver absentee ballots solely to individuals on those lists.

The president has argued that the measure is intended to prevent illegal voting by non-citizens, a claim that multiple studies have found to be rare.