A federal judge on Tuesday blocked key parts of President Donald Trump’s mail-in voting overhaul nationwide, ruling that the executive branch has "no authority to regulate elections" and preventing the administration from changing ballot-mail rules less than 90 days before the Nov. 3 midterms.
Nationwide Injunction Freezes Trump Mail-Voting Rules
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston expanded an earlier injunction covering 23 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C. The Trump administration has already asked the Supreme Court to revive the restrictions.
Trump’s March executive order, which drew immediate legal threats, directed federal agencies to compile state-specific lists of verified U.S. citizens. It instructed the Postal Service to develop rules under which mail-in or absentee ballots would only move through the system for voters enrolled on approved lists.
Judge Says Election Authority Belongs Elsewhere
Talwani concluded that the Constitution gives states primary power over congressional election procedures while allowing Congress, not the president, to override those regulations. The Elections Clause expressly assigns the "Times, Places and Manner" of congressional elections to state legislatures, subject to congressional action.
The judge said Trump’s order was "causing confusion and threatening both increasing chaos and an erosion of trust in our democracy." Protecting voters, she wrote, "heavily outweighs the executive’s attempt to unconstitutionally insert itself into the domain of election regulation."
She also stressed the approaching election, saying an injunction was necessary to stop the government "from changing election rules on the eve of the election."
Benzinga reached out to the White House and USPS for comment but did not receive an immediate response.
The ruling still allows USPS to issue nonbinding guidance on ballot-envelope design and tracking. USPS already recommends Intelligent Mail barcodes and other tools to improve ballot visibility without determining voter eligibility.
Court Losses Mount for Election Agenda
The decision extends a string of courtroom setbacks for Trump’s election agenda. The administration has separately pushed the SAVE America Act, while Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) previously celebrated a court decision blocking a Trump-linked voter database initiative.
Reuters separately reported last Friday that the administration has lost 21 consecutive lawsuits seeking detailed state voter rolls, though it has appealed many of those decisions.
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