Trump administration asks Supreme Court to allow mail-voting restrictions

A federal court has blocked President Donald Trump’s executive order on mail-in voting. The administration has again asked the US Supreme Court to step in and allow the policy ahead of the November midterm elections.

The Justice Department filed an emergency request on Wednesday seeking to pause a ruling that prevents the US Postal Service from enforcing new nationwide rules governing mail ballots, according to Reuters. The move comes a day after US District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston expanded an earlier injunction and stopped the Postal Service from applying the directive across the country.

What the order would do

Trump signed the executive order in March, directing federal agencies to tighten procedures for mail-in voting. It instructs the Department of Homeland Security to create lists of citizens considered eligible to vote and share them with states. The order also directs the Justice Department to prioritise cases involving election officials who issue ballots to people deemed ineligible. It further requires the Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to voters listed on state-approved rolls.

Court ruling blocks enforcement

Judge Talwani ruled that the Postal Service cannot implement the changes nationwide, saying the federal government lacks authority to control how states run elections. Her decision extended a previous order that had already blocked parts of the policy in 23 states and Washington, DC. The case was brought by voting rights groups represented by the American Civil Liberties Union, which argue the directive violates constitutional limits on federal power.

Government response

The Justice Department says the lawsuits were filed too early, arguing that no concrete enforcement actions have yet taken place. It claims the alleged harm is speculative and not sufficient to justify blocking the policy. The administration has already asked the Supreme Court to intervene in a related ruling from June and now wants the latest decision included in that request.

Election backdrop

The dispute is unfolding as the US approaches the November 2026 midterm elections, which will determine control of Congress. Trump has repeatedly pushed for tighter mail-in voting rules and has continued to question the integrity of the 2020 election, claims that have been widely rejected. For now, the court orders remain in effect while the Supreme Court considers whether to take up the case.