USPS mail-in ballot rules and legal challenges 2026
One page that accretes the verified record as the story develops. Every fact keeps its date and its sources.
Trump's 2028 mail-vote push hinges on legal question
Cato Institute legal fellow Stephen Richer said at least six justices seem to think the administration will lose on the merits.
Individual cases of election and mail-ballot fraud exist but do not show that widespread fraud is occurring across U.S. mail voting.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that Republicans got another bad decision from the Supreme Court and called it a big loss for Republicans and America.
Trump's attacks on mail-in voting and midterm implications
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the Supreme Court's mailed ballot ruling.
The Brookings Institution found the average total mail voting fraud percentage across the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 general elections to be 0.000043%.
Donald Trump issued a March executive order that aimed to restrict mail-in ballots.
Kavanaugh throws Trump a lifeline on mail ballot rules after Supreme Court loss
Fox News reported that Brett Kavanaugh threw Trump 'a lifeline' on mail ballot rules despite a Supreme Court loss.
Supreme Court rejects Trump push to restrict mail ballots; administration says it will comply
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration would comply with the Supreme Court's decision.
Trump criticized the Supreme Court decision, calling it among the most destructive in US history.
Trump wrote on Truth Social that the Supreme Court is bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left into making decisions that have set America back at least a hundred years.
Court defeats Trump mail-in challenge
Trump’s order would have required states to redesign mail-in envelopes and upload lists of voters to the USPS.
Wisconsin law requires mail-in ballots to be delivered by the close of polls on election day in order to count.
More than 20,000 votes were rejected in Washington state's August primary because they arrived late at an election office.
“If you’re going to be returning your ballot by mail, please do so at least two weeks before the election. And you also may want to contact your municipal clerk to find out if there are other opportunities for you to return your ballot in your community. You may have drop-boxes or you may be able to return your ballot in person to your clerk.”
Guardian First Thing: States cleared for mail-in voting after Supreme Court ruling (roundup)
Under Microsoft's code of conduct, AI models must not consider requests related to weapons development, produce violent or sexually explicit content, or help with the procurement of dangerous substances.
Microsoft has published a provisional code of conduct to apply to the training of new AI models.
California governor Gavin Newsom said he will not run for president if Kamala Harris does.
“Donald Trump tried to illegally interfere with our elections and undermine vote-by-mail for millions of Americans and failed. We will keep fighting to protect the right to vote of every single citizen in this country.”
US Supreme Court rejects Trump's postal ballot plans
Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the decision means work to carry out a safe, secure, and accurate election can continue without upending election processes.
Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin began sending mail ballots to voters over the past week.
Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a Republican, said the decision means Utahns can have confidence that the 2026 election will proceed as normal.
Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's mail-in ballot restrictions for midterms
US District Judge Indira Talwani imposed an injunction blocking the rule.
The executive order required the post office to refrain from delivering ballots for mail-in voting to registered voters deemed ineligible when compared with Department of Homeland Security and other federal records.
Voting rights groups, joined by 23 states and the District of Columbia, sued the administration to stop the proposed rule.
Trump mail-in voting restrictions blocked by second judge
Judge Nichols had previously refused to issue an injunction in May because he ruled the lawsuit was brought too early.
The Supreme Court lifted an earlier freeze by Judge Talwani late last month using the same reasoning that the lawsuit was brought too early.
Election officials say it would be impossible to implement the changes this close to a general election.
Trump's attempted crackdown on mail-in voting
Approximately 29% of American voters cast their vote by mail in 2024.
Trump's efforts to restrict mail-in voting before November's US midterm elections face legal challenges.
Donald Trump has described voting by mail as a hoax.
U.S. appeals court rejects Trump's bid to impose mail-in voting restrictions before midterms
The Boston-based first US circuit court of appeals declined to put on hold an injunction issued by a lower court judge last week preventing the US Postal Service from tightening rules around postal voting.
Donald Trump has frequently criticized mail-in voting despite using it himself.
The US supreme court blocked Trump's efforts to introduce new requirements around mail-in voting.
US appeals court rejects Trump bid to implement new vote-by-mail rules
The appeals court found it would be impossible for some states to reprint compliant envelopes in time.
The new rules were released by the US Postal Service in late August.
The rules would require states to redesign mail-in ballots to include unique scannable barcodes for federal tracking.
Appeals court rejects Trump request to lift block on Postal Service mail ballot rule
A federal appeals court denied the Trump administration's request to lift a lower court's order that blocked new rules for mail ballots before the midterms.
The appellate panel wrote that implementing the new rule would likely result in the disenfranchisement of millions of voters.
The final rule issued by the Postal Service requires states and localities to meet design requirements for mail ballots, including unique barcodes.
Washington state blocks new Trump mail voting rules
Ballots for the midterm election will start being mailed out Oct. 16.
The new USPS rules would have required a new envelope with a barcode for mail-in ballots.
Secretary of State Steve Hobbs said the midterm election in Washington will be safe, secure, and accessible.
Trump administration appeals to Supreme Court to allow mail ballot restrictions
Democratic states and voting rights groups say the mail ballot changes are unconstitutional.
The ACLU said the Postal Service rule is unconstitutional and unlawful.
Nearly one-third of voters in the U.S. cast mail ballots.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to restrict mail-in voting before midterms
Judge Indira Talwani wrote that the executive order's implementation, with two months until election day, threatens disenfranchisement of millions of U.S. citizens who seek to vote by mail.
Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson set a deadline of Wednesday for responses to the Trump administration's request.
An analysis by the States United Democracy Center found that one in four registered Democrats and one in five registered Republicans voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election.
Federal judge extends block on Trump order restricting mail-in voting and USPS mail ballot rules
A coalition of 24 state attorneys general joined together suing USPS to challenge the rule.
The Trump administration quickly appealed Friday's ruling.
The Supreme Court previously overturned Talwani's initial hold on the order, finding the lawsuits were filed prematurely before USPS issued its rule on implementation.
Midterm mail ballots begin amid litigation uncertainty
Sam Hayes is the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson is among Democratic state officials challenging Trump's executive order and the Postal Service changes in a lawsuit.
About 5,000 ballots will go out during Wake County's first wave.
North Carolina becomes first state to send out mail-in ballots for US midterms
North Carolina became the first state to start sending out mail-in ballots for November's US midterm elections on Friday.
Judge Talwani froze key parts of the plan again on 27 August.
The proposed rule is part of an executive order Trump signed in March directing agencies to compile citizen lists for use in screening mail ballots.
Vote-by-mail controversy in the US
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal made public a whistleblower complaint on September 2, 2026 detailing problems with the Postal Service's plans to restrict mail-in voting.
According to 2024 estimates, about 99 percent of votes in Oregon were cast through the mail.
About 30 percent of people who voted in the 2024 elections sent their ballots through the mail, according to the Election Assistance Commission.
GOP mail-in voting proposal could impact millions before midterms
Sen. Ashley Moody is leading a corresponding bill in the Senate.
Laurel Lee served as Florida's secretary of state from 2019 until May 2022.
Rep. Laurel Lee plans to introduce legislation mandating that absentee and mail-in ballots are received by relevant officials by the end of Election Day.
Federal judge considers extending ban on USPS mail ballot changes
In June 2025, Talwani prohibited the administration from implementing Trump's executive order for the November election, ruling the changes came too close to voting.
Talwani imposed a 14-day temporary restraining order on the USPS mail ballot plan the week before the hearing.
The USPS has not identified a single state that has opted into the system as of the hearing.
Federal Appeals Court Strikes Down South Carolina Mail-In Voting Restriction
Chief Judge Roger Gregory stated that South Carolina must either allow all voters unrestricted absentee voting or allow none of them to have it.
Representatives of South Carolina stated they intend to appeal the ruling further.
The lawsuit originated in 2023 when a group of younger voters sued the South Carolina Elections Commission, claiming the mail-in voting rule violated the 26th Amendment.
“By granting voters aged sixty-five and older unconditional access to absentee-by-mail voting while conditioning that same option for younger voters on eligibility categories, documentation, and a rigid deadline, the state allocates voting opportunities unequally based solely on age,”
Trump administration appeals ruling blocking mail voting order
The first mail ballots of the general election are scheduled to be sent out September 4.
A federal judge in Boston blocked implementation of President Trump's mail voting executive order for the next two weeks.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani found that states do not have the time or money to design and produce new ballots and update their systems before the midterm elections.
“I’m hoping that federal judges continue to hold the line on their constitutional authority and duty,”
Federal Judge Continues Block on Trump Bid to Restrict Mail-In Voting
District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the US Postal Service's new ballot rules for 14 days.
The Supreme Court dismissed an earlier ruling against the USPS rules on the grounds that the legal challenge was filed too early.
Judge Talwani wrote that states do not have the time or funds to redesign ballots, update election systems, or train officials on the USPS portal ahead of the election.
“have neither time nor funds”
Federal judge halts Trump executive order limiting mail voting in midterms
The Supreme Court on Monday overturned an earlier ruling by Judge Talwani that had blocked Trump's order from taking effect.
Democrats and voting rights groups contend that the Postal Service's demand regarding mail ballots is unconstitutional.
The Constitution grants states and, in some cases, Congress the power to make election rules.
Judge temporarily blocks new Postal Service rules for mail-in voting
Trump issued an executive order in March seeking to restrict mail-in voting.
The Supreme Court ruled in a 6-3 decision that the states lacked standing to challenge Trump's executive order at that stage.
The same judge had previously blocked Trump's executive order but lifted that decision after the Supreme Court ruled she had initially acted too quickly.
US Postal Service mail-in ballot restrictions in effect
The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Trump administration on Monday, clearing the way for the new mail-in ballot restrictions.
A new court challenge was filed in a federal court in Massachusetts on Wednesday by 24 states.
The new procedures mean the Postal Service would compile lists of eligible voters using input from US states and only deliver ballots to individuals on those lists.
“The government subsequently received such relief from those injunctions, meaning the injunctions no longer preclude the implementation of the Rule for November 3, 2026 or any earlier federal election,”
US Postal Service implements new mail ballot rules tied to Trump order
The states said that the USPS policy is part of a broader effort by the administration to rewrite federal election law and usurp the authority of the states and Congress.
The US Postal Service said new requirements for mail-in voting are now in effect.
The USPS said the new rule would be implemented immediately, applying to ballots for November's US midterm elections.
Democratic states sue to block Trump order limiting mail voting in midterms
The Supreme Court ruled in Trump's favor two days before the new lawsuit was filed.
The first mailed ballots are set to be sent out the week following the lawsuit filing.
Judge Talwani said the executive order could unleash "chaos" and referred to it as "likely unconstitutional."
Federal judge lifts final block on Trump mail-in voting order
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said he is suing the Trump Administration to stop their unconstitutional attempt to change the rules and restrict mail-in voting.
The states argue that USPS skipped a review process for major nationwide changes to postal services or operations.
The Supreme Court stayed an earlier injunction against key parts of Trump's mail-voting executive order, finding the states' initial challenge was premature because USPS had not yet issued a final rule.
“Radical Democrats continue to oppose commonsense measures that protect the security of mail-in ballots and ensure only Americans are electing American leaders,”
Supreme Court allows Trump vote-by-mail limits
Trump has pressed the Republican-controlled Congress to pass the Save America Act, a contentious package of voting restrictions.
Letitia James, New York's attorney general, called the court's decision a painful setback but said her office was exploring all legal options.
US District Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts blocked the plan for the midterm elections in the plaintiff states and an appeals court upheld her decision.
US Postal Service Establishes New Procedures for Mail-In Ballots
State election authorities would have to enter voter information into a federal ballot mail portal before a ballot is accepted into the mail stream.
The USPS announced that the rule will be officially published on August 26.
The United States Postal Service released a new rule adding verification requirements to all mail-in ballots.
“Such enhanced visibility will help identify potential issues that would have otherwise gone undetected; at the very least, it will provide increased assurance that any potential issues are more capable of being effectively identified and investigated.”
USPS Enacts Stricter Mail-In Ballot Handling Rules Amid Court Scrutiny
Two federal court injunctions in California and Massachusetts currently block the USPS from implementing changes under a March executive order signed by Donald Trump.
The US Postal Service prepared to publish a final rule imposing new requirements on states to provide voter information to the federal government before the November midterm elections.
The federal government has sued Washington DC and 30 states for declining to provide lists of eligible voters.
“If the government obtains timely relief from the injunctions, implementation immediately thereafter will provide election officials as much time as possible before the next election to comply with the rule’s preparation standards for Federal Ballot Mail envelopes, and to prepare to submit data to the Federal Ballot Mail Portal (‘Portal’), before the mail-in and absentee ballots subject to this rule are mailed (which generally occurs in September or thereafter, as determined by state law),”
US Postal Service mail-in ballot restrictions despite court ruling
The proposed rules would prevent the USPS from distributing mail-in ballots in states that do not comply with federal demands for voter records.
A group of voting rights organizations filed a separate lawsuit challenging the rules.
Leaders of 23 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration's plans to impose the new mail-in voting rules.
USPS issues mail-in ballot restrictions despite court order
Under the proposed rules, the Postal Service would refuse to distribute mail-in ballots in states that do not comply with federal requests for voter records.
The United States Postal Service published a final draft of its proposed rules restricting the use of mail-in ballots under President Donald Trump.
Leaders from 23 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration's proposed rules on mail-in voting.
“Where [Trump’s executive order] is presently causing confusion and threatening both increasing chaos and an erosion of trust in our democracy, the court finds that enfranchisement heavily outweighs the executive’s attempt to unconstitutionally insert itself into the domain of election regulation,”
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow mail-in voting order before midterms
Trump ordered the government in March to create a 'state citizenship list' of eligible voters and deliver mail ballots only to people on that list.
A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.
A response to the Trump administration's appeal is due August 3.
“And the injunction is especially indefensible because the agencies are still deliberating over how (if at all) to implement the Order, yet the district court preemptively decided that whatever the agencies may choose to do will necessarily be unlawful,”