A three-judge D.C. Circuit panel refused to block Donald Trump’s order restricting mail voting, affirming a May ruling that challengers sought an injunction too early.
The panel said Democrats and voting-rights groups had to wait for formal implementing rules, though it warned any attempt to force nationwide changes in the few months before November could still be halted.
A separate Massachusetts case already bars the order for this year’s elections; a Boston-based appeals court upheld that block on Saturday, and the administration appealed to the Supreme Court on Monday.
Postal workers’ union chief Jonathan Smith said USPS staff are being told to prepare an online portal for voters to submit information to qualify for mail ballots, even as the Postal Service has not detailed its plans.
The dispute tests Trump’s March order directing USPS to deliver ballots only to voters on a federal eligibility list, a move critics say intrudes on states’ constitutional control over elections.
Will the Supreme Court allow a new federal postal portal to fundamentally alter mail-in voting procedures right before the 2026 midterms?
2026 Mail-In Voting Crisis: Trump Administration’s Executive Order, Supreme Court Battle, and the Future of U.S. Election Integrity
Overview
In 2026, President Trump signed an executive order to restrict mail-in voting, triggering lawsuits from 23 states and voting rights groups. After a federal judge blocked the order as unconstitutional, the administration appealed, but the injunction was upheld by the appeals court. The case quickly escalated to the Supreme Court, which fast-tracked its review. Meanwhile, the administration expanded the SAVE system to check voter rolls, but this led to widespread database errors and wrongful voter purges, prompting another federal court to block its use. These legal and technical battles have forced local election offices to create costly backup plans and have deepened staffing crises, all while millions of Americans risk disenfranchisement due to new documentation requirements.