Postal Service Awaits Supreme Court Ruling Ahead of New Mail Voting Requirements, Federal Access to State Voter Rolls

The United States Postal Service is awaiting a decision by the Supreme Court on whether it will be allowed to move forward with new regulations, finalized Friday, that aim to crack down on the widespread use of vote-by-mail procedures.The final rule released last week was written to comply with an executive order signed by President Trump in March that seeks to limit the use of mail-in voting ahead of this year’s midterm elections. The rule is expected to be filed in the Federal Register on Wednesday and will take immediate effect if the Supreme Court lifts a lower court injunction so that it can be put into force before November’s vote. Under the rule, the Postal Service would refuse to mail any ballots to states unless the state confirms voters’ identifying information, such as names or addresses, which are tied to a barcode on the envelope of the mail ballot. The federal mail service will set up a verification portal for submission of data to be reviewed.In a statement Friday, the American Civil Liberties Union argued that “the president is attempting to weaponize USPS to force states to violate voters’ privacy and interfere with how states administer mail voting.”“These actions risk the disenfranchisement of millions of eligible voters the Plaintiff organizations serve,” the organization said.Mr. Trump has been pushing for severe restrictions on mail-in voting, including banning it for anyone who is not infirm, traveling, or serving in the military. The regulation finalized last week does none of those things, however. In May 2025, the Trump administration sued nearly two dozen states to access their respective voter records, though the courts have thus far blocked such moves. In April 2026, a group of Democratic-led states and other voting rights groups consolidated forces to fight back against attempts to implement the executive order, arguing in district court that Mr. Trump is overstepping his authority and infringing on states’ Tenth Amendment rights. In June, a District Judge for the District of Massachusetts, Indira Talwani, favored petitioners, concluding that “The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections.” In an August 11 ruling, Judge Talwani again blocked the administration from creating a national voter file and restricting mail voting, saying because the midterm elections were less than 90 days away, Americans who vote by mail “require clarity as to how or whether they will vote in November.”After the rule was finalized on Friday, voting rights groups filed a motion for an expedited hearing before Judge Talwani, arguing that the Trump administration was attempting to blindside the court. Judge Talwani ruled on Sunday that the Trump administration must file its next brief by Tuesday at 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time, giving her a full business day to make a decision before the rule is published in the Federal Register on Wednesday. She also accused the administration of “creating (an) emergency by issuing a rule on a Friday evening after the courts were closed.”The high court has yet to rule on the question of whether or not the federal government can access states’ voter rolls — something the justices are expected to decide in the coming days. If the Nine allows the agency to proceed, the rule will become enforceable “immediately” for the 2026 midterm election.The executive order also stated that the federal government should “prohibit States from counting ballots received after Election Day” and “prohibit non-citizens from registering to vote.” The Supreme Court has already ruled that ballots received after Election Day may be counted.

Postal Service Awaits Supreme Court Ruling Ahead of New Mail Voting Requirements, Federal Access to State Voter Rolls

Postal Service Awaits Supreme Court Ruling Ahead of New Mail Voting Requirements, Federal Access to State Voter Rolls

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