US Supreme Court Blocks Trump’s Stricter Mail Voting Rules
The United States Supreme Court has rejected an attempt by President Donald Trump’s administration to revive stricter rules governing mail-in voting ahead of the November midterm elections. The court on Monday declined to suspend a lower court ruling that had blocked implementation of the new requirements, saying in a brief explanation that the government was “unlikely to succeed” in its challenge to the preliminary injunction. The administration had asked the Supreme Court to allow the rules to take effect before the November 3 elections, but the decision means states can continue distributing mail-in voting materials under existing regulations. Some states have already begun sending ballots to voters. Trump had issued an order in late March directing the US Postal Service to deliver mail-in voting materials only to people listed on voter rolls previously compiled by individual states. Critics argued that the measure would give the postal service an expanded role in the administration of elections beyond its traditional responsibility of delivering election materials.
The directive has been the subject of a prolonged legal battle, with a federal judge in Boston temporarily blocking the administration’s plans in late August. The judge described the order as likely unconstitutional and said it would be practically impossible to implement for the 2026 midterm elections. The elections, scheduled for November 3, will determine all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and a portion of the Senate. Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers, and the outcome will determine whether Trump’s party retains control of Congress. Losing control of either chamber would make it considerably more difficult for the president to advance his legislative agenda during the remaining two years of his current term.
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