Court Blocks USPS Ballot Rule Amid Midterm Voting Uncertainty

A federal judge in Texas has temporarily blocked the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing new requirements that would limit the delivery of absentee ballots in states that do not provide voter lists or specific envelope barcodes. The ruling follows a lawsuit filed by more than two dozen states and the District of Columbia, which argue the rule could prevent millions of voters from receiving their ballots in time.

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, appointed by former President Barack Obama, warned that states preparing to mail ballots later this month would be unable to adjust their processes, "nearly guaranteeing significant disenfranchisement for eligible voters." The Trump administration has asked the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court to lift the injunction, but decisions are expected within days.

Election officials in Wisconsin, Washington, Hawaii and Oregon have testified that the rule would require costly, time-consuming changes such as printing barcode stickers by hand, a task they deem "an impossibility for many jurisdictions." State officials say the lack of sufficient time and resources could force a shift away from established vote-by-mail systems, risking widespread confusion.

The Postal Service defended the rule as a modest data-verification measure that would improve visibility and law-enforcement benefits. However, the judge noted that the administration provided no evidence of mail-voting fraud to justify the changes. A recent whistleblower report alleged that the new USPS systems had not been properly tested, prompting an independent review by the agency’s inspector general.

Military and overseas voters, who rely on the Postal Service under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, are not directly affected by the rule, but advocates warn that any delays could have indirect consequences. One service member, Kelsi Kiper, said she is considering costly travel to vote in person because of the uncertainty.

Election officials across the country continue to prepare contingency plans, urging voters to request and return absentee ballots promptly. "We will make that election happen," said Corinne Duncan, elections director for Buncombe County, North Carolina, referencing past adaptations during the pandemic and after Hurricane Helene.

The outcome of the pending appeals could determine whether the USPS rule is implemented for the November midterms, a race in which about one-third of voters historically cast ballots by mail.