Federal judge extends injunction against Trump mail-voting order

A federal judge on Friday extended a preliminary injunction that bars the U.S. Postal Service from carrying out President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting mail voting in the 2024 midterm elections. The order, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, replaces an earlier temporary hold and remains in effect while the administration seeks relief from the Supreme Court and prepares an appeal.

Talwani, an Obama-appointed judge, wrote that states must mail millions of ballots within a legally prescribed timeframe and that the late-stage changes would likely disenfranchise eligible voters. "Plaintiff States are required under state law to mail millions of ballots to voters on a prescribed timeframe. As detailed below, they are unable to pivot this late in the election cycle, nearly guaranteeing significant disenfranchisement for eligible voters," she said.

The ruling comes as states such as North Carolina begin sending their first mail ballots, with many others expected to follow. The injunction allows states to use the new Postal Service system voluntarily, but no state has announced plans to adopt it.

The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift the earlier temporary order and is expected to appeal the latest decision. The White House has not responded to requests for comment.

The legal challenge follows earlier court defeats of Trump’s voting-policy initiatives, including a 2022 executive order that required documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. Courts have ruled that voting procedures are set by states and, in some cases, Congress, not the president.