Supreme Court Blocks Trump Plan to Restrict Mail-In Ballots Through USPS
Published: Sep 15, 2026 - 2:17 p.m.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Supreme Court issued a ruling today that prevents the Trump administration from moving forward with a plan to use the United States Postal Service to regulate mail-in ballots for the upcoming midterm elections. In a 7-2 decision, the justices maintained a lower court's preliminary injunction blocking the federal government from enforcing new restrictions. This means that, for the current election cycle, state laws will continue to govern how mail-in ballots are handled without federal interference from the USPS. The majority included Chief Justice John Roberts, the court's three liberal justices, and conservative justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh. Because the case appeared on the court's shadow docket, the justices did not provide an exhaustive explanation for their decision. The ruling effectively signals that the administration's legal arguments were unlikely to succeed at this stage of the litigation. The proposed rule originated from an executive order that would have granted the USPS significant new authority to determine which mail-in ballots are delivered. Under the plan, states also would be required to upload lists of voters eligible for mail-in participation to a portal controlled by the federal government. While the court's decision stops the rule for now, the legal battle is far from over. Justice Brett Kavanaugh penned a concurring paragraph that highlighted a specific concern regarding the calendar. He did not necessarily argue that the administration lacked the power to create the rule, but rather that the timing was the primary issue. According to Kavanaugh's opinion, applying the rule to the current election cycle would be arbitrary and capricious, which is a violation of the Administrative Procedure Act. He noted that state and local election officials simply do not have enough time to implement such a massive shift before voters head to the polls. Conservative justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the majority. According to the dissent written by Justice Alito, the two believed the administration should have been allowed to proceed with the USPS rule for the midterms. They argued that some of the plaintiffs lacked the legal standing to bring the case and suggested that the Postal Service likely possesses the authority to create these types of regulations. Justice Alito did clarify that he was not definitively declaring the rule legal, noting that the question would present a difficult legal hurdle if it were the primary focus today. The White House has not yet issued an official comment on the ruling, though a response is expected as the administration prepares its next steps in the lower courts. Voters should be aware that this ruling specifically applies to the midterms, and it does not permanently prohibit the rule from being revisited ahead of the 2028 presidential election. The litigation will now return to the lower federal courts, where the merits of the executive order will be debated in full. -------------------- At Cleveland 13 News, we strive to provide accurate, up-to-date, and reliable reporting. If you spot an error, omission, or have information that may need updating, please email us at tips@cleveland13news.com. As a community-driven news network, we appreciate the help of our readers in ensuring the integrity of our reporting.
Comments