Us Supreme Court Keeps New Usps Mail-ballot Rules Blocked Ahead Of Midterms

By Author: The Law Reporters
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The US Supreme Court has declined to allow the US Postal Service to enforce new mail-ballot requirements before the November 2026 midterm elections, leaving a lower-court injunction in place while legal challenges continue. The Court said the federal government was unlikely to succeed in its challenge to the preliminary injunction.

The disputed rule would require states using the postal system for election mail to follow new requirements involving approved ballot envelopes, voter-specific barcodes and voter information submitted through a USPS system.
US District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the rule on September 4. The First Circuit later refused to suspend that order.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the rule should remain blocked for the 2026 elections, while noting there was a reasonable prospect that the Postal Service could possess statutory authority to adopt such requirements. His concurrence focused on the lack of sufficient time for state and local election officials to implement the changes before the election. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented.

The ruling concerns the preliminary injunction rather than a final determination of the rule's overall legality. The underlying litigation will therefore continue while the new requirements remain unenforceable for the upcoming midterms.

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