US Supreme Court blocks Trump’s mail ballot restrictions ahead of midterm elections
The United States Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the November 2026 midterm elections.
The decision, issued on Monday, September 14, allows states to continue sending mail ballots under their existing procedures, with voting already underway in some parts of the country. Nearly one-third of US voters used mail ballots in the 2024 election.
The court’s brief order left in place lower-court rulings preventing the US Postal Service (USPS) from implementing the new requirements. The justices did not provide a detailed explanation, but indicated that the government was unlikely to succeed in its legal challenge.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the restrictions should not take effect for the 2026 midterms. Kavanaugh indicated that questions surrounding the Postal Service’s authority could potentially be considered again in the future.
Under the Trump administration’s proposed rules, states would have been required to submit voter information to a federal USPS portal and use specially designed envelopes featuring approved barcodes. The Postal Service would have had authority to reject ballots that did not meet the new requirements.
Several states and voting-rights organisations challenged the measures, arguing that the changes came too close to the election and could disrupt established voting procedures.
Election officials also warned that implementing the new system weeks before the midterms would be difficult, particularly in states where mail voting is widely used. Mail ballots had already begun going out in states including Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
The ruling means election offices can continue operating under their existing mail-ballot systems without making the last-minute changes demanded by the administration.
The Trump administration had defended the restrictions as measures intended to strengthen election security. Following the ruling, Attorney General Todd Blanche said the administration would comply with the Supreme Court’s decision.
The case is part of a broader legal dispute over the federal government’s role in regulating election procedures and the extent of the Postal Service’s authority over election mail.
