US Judge Blocks Trump's Stricter Mail-In Voting Rules Before Midterms

A US federal judge has issued a second preliminary injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order that would impose stricter rules on mail-in voting, a move that could affect millions of Americans ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. Judge Indira Talwani of Massachusetts called the order a "likely unconstitutional regulation whose compliance is practically impossible with regard to the 2026 midterms."

What the Blocked Rules Would Have Required

Trump signed the executive order in late March. Under its provisions, the US Postal Service (USPS) would have been given a central gatekeeping role in mail-in voting. States would have had to submit their ballot envelope designs to USPS for approval. Additionally, mail-in ballots would only be sent to individuals listed on citizenship registries, with data cross-referenced from immigration and social security authorities. Most states that challenged the decree had already ordered their mail-in ballot materials, and some were legally required to send them to eligible voters as early as next week.

Court History

This is Talwani's second injunction on this issue. The conservative-majority Supreme Court had previously overturned her first order, ruling the Massachusetts federal court lacked jurisdiction at the time. Talwani has now issued a fresh injunction on different jurisdictional grounds. The Trump administration is expected to appeal the decision.

Political Stakes at the Midterms

The dispute comes at a critical moment two months before the November 3 midterms, when all 435 seats in the House of Representatives and approximately one-third of the Senate are up for election. Republicans currently hold slim majorities in both chambers. Losing even one chamber could significantly hamper Trump's ability to advance key legislative priorities. Democrats have pledged to block the president's agenda and initiate a new impeachment process if they win. Mail-in voting has historically skewed more toward Democratic voters, which critics say explains Trump's motivation behind the restrictions.

Competing Claims

Democrats accuse Trump of stripping voters of their rights for partisan purposes. Republicans defend the measures as protection against electoral fraud, though no evidence of widespread fraud through mail-in voting has been presented. Trump himself has voted by mail on multiple occasions, including most recently in the Florida Republican primaries this month.