Politics

Federal judge considers extending ban on Postal Service mail voting changes

A Boston court is weighing a preliminary injunction against new ballot requirements as states prepare to send out mail-in votes.

Updated Sep 3, 2026 · 12:19 UTC3 reports

The short version

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani is hearing arguments on whether to extend a block on new Postal Service mail-in balloting requirements ordered by President Donald Trump.
The legal battle affects election officials nationwide, who say they cannot comply with new mandates requiring envelope pre-approval and online voter list uploads.
A temporary 14-day restraining order is set to expire next week as state mail ballot distributions begin.
The judge is deciding whether to grant a preliminary injunction, a decision the administration has already begun appealing and that may reach the Supreme Court.

U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani heard arguments on whether to issue a preliminary injunction preventing the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a new mail balloting system.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
The proposed rules stem from an executive order by President Donald Trump requiring states to obtain envelope design approvals and upload recipient voter lists to a postal portal before ballots are delivered.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
The hearing occurred on the eve of North Carolina initiating statewide mail ballot shipments, with some Wisconsin municipalities having already sent ballots.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
Lawsuits brought by Democrats and voting rights groups argue that the president lacks constitutional authority to establish election rules, while the administration maintains the changes are minor and lawful.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
A recently released whistleblower report warned that rules requiring full ballot batches to be rejected over single barcode errors could prevent millions of ballots from being delivered.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]

Whether Judge Talwani will grant the preliminary injunction or allow the current temporary restraining order to expire next week.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]
How higher federal courts, including the Supreme Court, will rule on anticipated appeals as voting gets underway.[Associated Press · ABC News · ABC News]