Trump Administration Pushes Supreme Court to Reinstate Anti-Voter Mail-Ballot Tracking Rule
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The Trump Justice Department has petitioned the Supreme Court to overturn a district court order blocking a restrictive Postal Service rule that would force states to use an online portal for mail-ballot verification, threatening to undermine absentee voting access ahead of the November election.
On Thursday, the Justice Department under the Trump administration escalated its attack on voting rights by asking the Supreme Court to reverse a temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani. The order currently prevents the Postal Service from enforcing a burdensome rule that would require states to upload voter lists to an online portal before mailing ballots—a move that could disenfranchise countless voters. The administration, relying on a dubious executive order from last spring, claims statutory authority for this rule and argues that the district court has no right to halt its implementation, despite the clear risks to democratic participation.
During a Boston hearing, Judge Talwani pressed DOJ attorney Michael Velchik on the Postal Service’s lack of preparedness, highlighting the absence of any official declaration explaining how the portal would function. 'As you sit here today, you can't tell me the government has a program ready to go?' she asked, exposing the administration’s reckless rush to impose new barriers to voting.
Velchik, dodging the readiness question, insisted the Postal Service would 'fully implement the rule' and shifted the focus to whether the court had the legal power to intervene, asking, 'The $64,000 question is, is this authorized by the statute?' This legalistic maneuvering ignores the real-world consequences for voters.
Judge Talwani is weighing whether to extend her order, which currently blocks the Postal Service from enforcing the portal requirement through September 10. North Carolina is set to begin mailing absentee ballots on Friday, with more states to follow, making the timing of this decision critical for voter access.
The Supreme Court has given plaintiffs until September 8 to file arguments, meaning a decision could come as soon as next week. The administration’s appeal follows a previous Supreme Court ruling that Talwani’s earlier injunction was premature, since the Postal Service had not yet issued regulations.
John Sauer, the administration’s solicitor general, argued in the appeal that while states control election procedures, they cannot escape the Postal Service’s authority—an assertion that threatens state autonomy and voter rights.
Velchik admitted that no state has opted into the system, and none of the 12 states involved in the lawsuit have agreed to participate. Missouri Solicitor General Lou Capozzi attempted to defend the project, dismissing concerns about disenfranchisement.
However, a recent whistleblower report has sounded the alarm: the rule could lead to mass ballot rejections over minor barcode errors, potentially preventing millions of mail ballots from being sent. This is yet another example of the Trump administration’s ongoing efforts to suppress the vote and undermine democracy.