US District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the Trump administration's Postal Service rule governing mail-ballot delivery Thursday, ruling compliance "practically impossible" before November midterms. The order halts requirements for states to submit voter lists and format envelopes to USPS specifications, preserving mail-voting access for roughly one-third of American voters with ballots already printed or due for mailing within weeks.
The ruling follows the Supreme Court's Monday decision vacating a prior injunction against Trump's March executive order targeting mail voting. Plaintiffs—two dozen Democratic attorneys general and voting-rights groups—refiled suits after the Postal Service published its final implementation rule. Talwani, an Obama appointee, found the regulation likely unconstitutional and noted the record shows no evidence of widespread mail-ballot fraud, citing a 2025 Brookings study finding four fraud cases per ten million ballots.
Election officials argued they lack time and funds to redesign ballots, update management systems, train staff, and upload citizen data to a USPS portal before statutory mailing deadlines beginning next week. New York Attorney General Letitia James called the rule a federal attempt to interfere in state-run elections. The White House did not immediately comment; a hearing is scheduled for September 3, with an appeal expected.
The Supreme Court's conservative majority did not rule on the executive order's legality, only on the timing of the initial injunction. The administration previously prevailed in a Washington court by arguing claims were premature absent a final rule. That rule is now in effect, restarting the legal fight over whether the president or Postal Service holds authority the Constitution reserves to states and Congress.