Federal judge blocks Trump administration's mail-ballot rule ahead of midterms

A Boston federal judge on Friday issued a preliminary injunction halting a new U.S. Postal Service rule that would require states to obtain advance approval for mail-in ballot designs before the 2026 midterm elections. Judge Indira Talwani said the rule, issued less than seventy days before the election, is likely unlawful and unconstitutional and could disenfranchise millions of voters.

"The court finds, on one side, that immediate implementation of the Final Rule ... threatens disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail," the judge wrote.

The judge rejected the Justice Department’s request to pause the order while the administration appeals, noting that the ruling applies only to the upcoming midterms and does not prevent states from voluntarily following the new requirements.

The administration has asked the Supreme Court to overturn a prior temporary order that blocked the rule. In a filing, Solicitor General John Sauer argued that the judge’s injunction, not the rule itself, creates confusion and that the changes are modest.

North Carolina began mailing ballots on Friday under state law. State Attorney General Jeff Jackson warned that a Supreme Court decision favoring the administration could disrupt the election, saying North Carolinians deserve a lawful and orderly process.

The rule stems from a March 31 executive order signed by President Donald Trump aimed at “ensuring citizenship verification and integrity in federal elections.” An earlier district-court order blocking the rule was reversed by the Supreme Court last month, which found the rule had not yet been finalized. The final rule was later approved, prompting the current legal challenge.