Federal Judge Blocks USPS Mail-Ballot Rules Again
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U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a new injunction preventing the Postal Service from implementing the Trump administration’s mail-ballot regulations, citing lack of authority and the risk of voter disenfranchisement.
A federal judge in Boston issued a fresh injunction on Friday stopping the United States Postal Service from applying new mail-ballot procedures mandated by a March executive order. Judge Indira Talwani found that the Postal Service lacks statutory authority to regulate elections and that the proposed changes would likely cause chaos and disenfranchise voters.
Talwani said election officials from multiple states testified that complying with the rules was “likely impossible,” making voter disenfranchisement “more than likely, if not probable.” The administration and 12 Republican-led states that support the plan filed an immediate appeal with the First Circuit Court of Appeals.
The contested rules would require states to provide the Postal Service with complete voter rolls, use specially designed ballot envelopes with individualized bar codes, and allow the agency to reject ballots that did not match those lists. The order also called for the Department of Homeland Security to create its own voter eligibility lists for comparison.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta praised the decision, stating the order provides “longer-term relief” while the broader case proceeds. A spokesperson for the attorney general’s office criticized the Justice Department for seeking emergency relief from the Supreme Court before lower-court rulings were considered.
The administration’s emergency petition to the Supreme Court argued that the earlier restraining order would cause “serious irreparable harm” to the government and the voting public. Solicitor General John Sauer wrote that a stay was needed to protect the public interest and allow states to begin compliance.
The Postal Service acknowledged that its new online portal for the program was still under development and not ready for launch, but said quality and security standards had not been compromised. Postal Service chief customer and marketing officer Steven W. Monteith indicated refinements were ongoing and that voluntary use of the portal might begin the following week.
The litigation follows earlier rulings that blocked the rules in California and more than 20 other states. While the Supreme Court previously set aside a related injunction on procedural grounds, it did not rule on the merits of the regulations. Voting-rights groups and state officials continue to challenge the rules, arguing they constitute an unlawful federal overreach into state-run elections.