In her midweek ruling, Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani agreed to lift an order prohibiting the Postal Service from carrying out Trump’s dictate for the November elections. Talwani noted that she was “compelled” to do so after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled that a similar injunction she granted in a related court case was premature.
On Wednesday, a federal judge removed a significant obstacle to President Donald Trump’s executive order limiting mail-in voting, even as Democratic-led states continue to litigate claims against the administration’s new policies.
According to PBS News, the “fresh round of legal wrangling” came just two days after the Supreme Court delivered a procedural win for the Trump administration, meaning that the case could end up before the high court before the upcoming midterm election.
The first mail-in ballots for the midterm, notes PBS News, are expected to be sent out later this week.
In her midweek ruling, Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani agreed to lift an order prohibiting the Postal Service from carrying out Trump’s dictate for the November elections. Talwani noted that she was “compelled” to do so after the Supreme Court’s conservative majority ruled that a similar injunction she granted in a related court case was premature.
Talwani, however, emphasized her belief that the executive order, in its current form, could “unleash chaos” and is “likely unconstitutional.”
In the meantime, the Trump administration can proceed with the implementation of a Postal Service rule requiring states to follow a uniform envelope style for mail-in ballots; states must also provide the Postal Service with lists of voters eligible to receive them.
Election officials across the country have warned that these measures post a list-minute hindrance that could make it difficult to distribute ballots within a reasonable timeframe.
“Across the country, states are already deep into preparations for the 2026 elections. Now, at the last moment, the federal government is attempting to meddle in those preparations and potentially threaten countless Americans’ right to vote,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement. “USPS has no authority to decide who can and cannot vote by mail.”
The lawsuit, filed by a coalition of state attorneys general and other interested parties, claims that the administration’s new rule violates the Privacy Act and a multitude of federal voting-rights laws; it also claims that the rule is broadly incompatible with the Postal Service’s internal governing statute.
“Each of these defects would alone establish the Rule’s unlawfulness,” the lawsuit alleges. “Together, they demonstrate USPS’s utter disregard for the law in carrying out the President’s policy preferences.”
Speaking to CPR, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold said that the Trump administration is much less limited in the rule of law than deciding who can—and cannot—receive a ballot.
“What Trump wants to do with his executive order is choose who gets a ballot,” Griswold said. “That’s what all this isa bout. We firmly believe it is not up to Donald Trump or the federal government to say who is eligible to vote. The right to vote is a pillar of our democracy.”
Sources
Federal judge pauses implementation of new mail ballot regulations
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