Judge Blocks USPS Mail-Ballot Rule for 14 Days Before 2026 Midterms

3 articles · Updated · NBC News · Aug 28

A federal judge in Boston temporarily halted a newly finalized Postal Service rule that would track mail ballots and could reject some voters not on a federal eligibility list.
Indira Talwani said the rule is likely unlawful because the president cannot inject the federal government into state-run elections without congressional authorization, and the administration offered no evidence of widespread mail-voting fraud.
States told the court they lacked the time and money to update election systems and train staff before November; Talwani called compliance "practically impossible" and warned of broad disenfranchisement.
The order keeps part of Trump's mail-voting directive blocked for at least 14 days, though a separate requirement that Homeland Security compile eligible-voter lists for states still stands.
The ruling is the latest turn after the Supreme Court earlier lifted a different injunction in a related case, and the Trump administration could quickly seek high-court review again.