Federal judge blocks Trump administration's order to involve Postal Service in election processes
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U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Postal Service from implementing a Trump executive order that would have created a federal voter list and limited mail voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
A Boston federal judge on Tuesday issued a preliminary injunction that stops the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out a presidential executive order aimed at creating a nationwide voter list and restricting mail-ballot delivery. Judge Indira Talwani, who previously halted the same order in March, ruled that the administration had not defended the order’s constitutionality and that the executive branch lacks authority to regulate elections.
The injunction bars the Postal Service from taking any steps to enforce the order for the upcoming midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3, 2026. The judge noted the timing, saying the proximity of the election underscores the need to prevent changes to election rules so close to the vote.
The White House responded that the administration will continue to pursue its agenda, including efforts to pass legislation that would restructure election procedures. "The entire Trump Administration will continue lawfully enacting the agenda President Trump was elected to enact — which includes the safety and security of American elections," spokeswoman Lauren Bis said.
Voting-rights groups welcomed the decision. Marcia Johnson of the League of Women Voters called the ruling "a victory for voters and for the Constitution," adding that neither the president nor the Postal Service has authority to rewrite election rules.
The lawsuits, filed by the League of Women Voters and other voting-rights organizations, argue that election rules are set by states and Congress, not the president. The Trump administration had argued that the plaintiffs lacked standing and that the claims were premature under the Administrative Procedure Act. A lawyer for the administration, Stephen Pezzi, said the alleged harms were speculative and that no one would be prosecuted for violating the order.
The contested order, issued in March, would have required the federal government to compile a list of eligible voters and directed the Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to those on the list. Critics said the plan could be abused and disrupt mail-ballot delivery, and the postal union opposed the notion of carriers policing ballots. Earlier rulings have similarly blocked the administration’s first election-related executive order, which sought to impose proof-of-citizenship requirements for voter registration.