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Massachusetts Judge Blocks Trump's New Mail Ballot Rules Nationwide
(MENAFN) A federal judge in Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction Friday, halting the Trump administration's attempt to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterms.
Judge Indira Talwani found that the US Postal Service exceeded its legal authority by trying to dictate the "time, place, and manner" of federal elections — powers the Constitution's Elections Clause reserves for states and Congress, not the executive branch.
Talwani cautioned that requiring states to redesign ballot envelopes and upload voter information to an untested digital system just weeks before the Nov. 3 election would produce "inevitable" disenfranchisement.
Her ruling took aim at the policy, which stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, noting it would empower USPS to "refuse to transmit" ballots that failed to meet the new criteria — a provision that could strip voting rights from millions of Americans.
The court also found that numerous small, rural jurisdictions don't have the equipment needed to print the newly mandated barcodes, and that the digital portal central to the plan isn't even functional yet. Talwani added that the government's record showed "no evidence relating to fraudulent mail voting" that would justify such an abrupt policy change.
Under the injunction, USPS is barred from withholding mail-in or absentee ballots over noncompliance with the new rules. Despite Trump's long-standing push for stricter voting requirements, the court rejected the administration's bid to stay the order.
Judge Indira Talwani found that the US Postal Service exceeded its legal authority by trying to dictate the "time, place, and manner" of federal elections — powers the Constitution's Elections Clause reserves for states and Congress, not the executive branch.
Talwani cautioned that requiring states to redesign ballot envelopes and upload voter information to an untested digital system just weeks before the Nov. 3 election would produce "inevitable" disenfranchisement.
Her ruling took aim at the policy, which stems from an executive order signed by President Donald Trump, noting it would empower USPS to "refuse to transmit" ballots that failed to meet the new criteria — a provision that could strip voting rights from millions of Americans.
The court also found that numerous small, rural jurisdictions don't have the equipment needed to print the newly mandated barcodes, and that the digital portal central to the plan isn't even functional yet. Talwani added that the government's record showed "no evidence relating to fraudulent mail voting" that would justify such an abrupt policy change.
Under the injunction, USPS is barred from withholding mail-in or absentee ballots over noncompliance with the new rules. Despite Trump's long-standing push for stricter voting requirements, the court rejected the administration's bid to stay the order.
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