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
Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the ruling.
Justice Brett Kavanaugh voted to uphold the injunction, noting that forcing the new rule to be implemented so close to an election likely runs afoul of federal law.
Individual cases of election and mail-ballot fraud exist but do not show that widespread fraud is occurring across U.S. mail voting.
Trump's attacks on mail-in voting and midterm implications
Donald Trump issued a March executive order that aimed to restrict mail-in ballots.
The Brookings Institution found the average total mail voting fraud percentage across the 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022 general elections to be 0.000043%.
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the Supreme Court's mailed ballot ruling.
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.
Guardian First Thing: States cleared for mail-in voting after Supreme Court ruling (roundup)
An anonymous whistleblower said DHS lawyers told officers investigating voter fraud they would not be held responsible for violating state laws around accessing voter registration information.
A government watchdog report found that detainees at Florida's Alligator Alcatraz federal immigration jail were frequently locked in outside metal cages no bigger than a phone booth.
ProPublica reported that Umar Kremlev footed the bill to rent one of the islands where a reception was held and where guests slept, along with other large expenses including a firework show.
“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.
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.
More than 20,000 votes were rejected in Washington state's August primary because they arrived late at an election office.
Twenty-nine percent of Americans voted by mail in the 2024 presidential election.
“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.”
Supreme Court rejects Trump push to restrict mail ballots; administration says it will comply
Trump criticized the Supreme Court decision, calling it among the most destructive in US history.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Trump administration would comply with the Supreme Court's decision.
Blanche defended Trump's criticism of the court, saying the president should voice concerns about another branch of government in a democracy.
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 new Postal Service regulations stem from an executive order Trump issued earlier in 2026.
The Postal Service rule was issued on 21 August.
Supreme Court rejects Trump administration's mail-in ballot restrictions for midterms
US District Judge Indira Talwani imposed an injunction blocking the rule.
Voting rights groups, joined by 23 states and the District of Columbia, sued the administration to stop the proposed rule.
The Supreme Court stated that the government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the district court's preliminary injunction.
Trump's attempted crackdown on mail-in voting
Donald Trump has described voting by mail as a hoax.
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.
US appeals court rejects Trump bid to implement new vote-by-mail rules
A group of 24 states plus the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit challenging the new rules.
The US Supreme Court is currently weighing a similar request.
The USPS would retain the right to not transmit mail-in or absentee ballots that do not comply with the new standards or whose recipients do not appear on submitted voter lists.
Appeals court rejects Trump request to lift block on Postal Service mail ballot rule
The appellate panel consisted of Judges Gustavo A. Gelpí, Julie Rikelman and Seth Aframe, all appointed to the First Circuit by President Joe Biden.
The rule requires postal workers to review and verify ballot mail being sent to voters, and non-compliant ballot mailings will be returned to election offices.
The Supreme Court had not yet ruled on the administration's request for a stay of the injunction as of the article's publication.
U.S. appeals court rejects Trump's bid to impose mail-in voting restrictions before midterms
The US supreme court blocked Trump's efforts to introduce new requirements around mail-in voting.
A US appeals court rejected Donald Trump's bid to impose restrictions on mail-in voting before November's midterm elections.
Donald Trump has frequently criticized mail-in voting despite using it himself.
Washington state blocks new Trump mail voting rules
Ballots for the midterm election will start being mailed out Oct. 16.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani extended her initial preliminary injunction on Friday, temporarily pausing enforcement of the new rules.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to restrict mail-in voting in March.
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.
This is the third time the administration has asked the Supreme Court to intervene in the mail ballot restrictions dispute.
Trump administration asks Supreme Court to restrict mail-in voting before midterms
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.
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.
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.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta co-led the state coalition and said longer-term relief was secured to keep USPS changes blocked while the case moves forward.
Trump signed the executive order imposing restrictions on mail-in voting in March.
Midterm mail ballots begin amid litigation uncertainty
Sam Hayes is the executive director of the North Carolina State Board of Elections.
Wisconsin officials wrote to the Postal Service after hundreds of ballots arrived too late to be counted during elections in April.
A whistleblower told Congress this week that the Postal Service is rushing an untested product with its portal that is likely to be riddled with errors that could lead to millions of mail ballots being rejected.
North Carolina becomes first state to send out mail-in ballots for US midterms
The supreme court's conservative majority sided with Trump in August but called the challenge premature.
The Trump administration asked the supreme court on Thursday to let it revive a rule barring the postal service from delivering ballots in states that don't share voter data with the federal government.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has given challengers until Tuesday to respond to the administration's request for an immediate stay.
Federal judge considers extending ban on USPS mail ballot changes
North Carolina begins sending mail ballots to voters who requested them on the Friday following the hearing.
The Supreme Court ruled late last month that Talwani's order was premature because the USPS had not yet published regulations governing how it would apply Trump's order.
The USPS published its regulations just before the Supreme Court ruling came down.
GOP mail-in voting proposal could impact millions before midterms
Republicans in states where voting by mail is popular have expressed concern about changing the current system ahead of November.
That separate Trump order would create new hurdles for the U.S. Postal Service and other agencies to verify proof of citizenship before delivering ballots.
A separate Trump order making changes to the mail-in voting system is at the center of a legal battle between the White House and over 20 states.
Vote-by-mail controversy in the US
Approximately 43 percent of votes were cast through the mail in 2020.
In late August 2026, the Supreme Court granted an emergency request allowing the Trump administration to proceed with its mail-in ballot reforms.
Approximately 48 million US voters cast their ballots through the mail as of 2024.
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.
A lower court initially dismissed the younger voters' argument before the case went to the Fourth Circuit on appeal.
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,”
Judge temporarily blocks new Postal Service rules for 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.
Trump issued an executive order in March seeking to restrict mail-in voting.
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.
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.
A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that mail voting fraud occurred in about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.
Trump administration appeals ruling blocking mail voting order
The Trump administration filed a notice of appeal on Friday regarding a ruling that blocked limitations on mail voting.
A report by the Brookings Institution published in 2025 found that mail voting fraud occurred in only about four cases out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.
The Supreme Court previously allowed Trump's mail voting plan to move ahead on procedural grounds but has not decided whether it is legal.
“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
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.
The new rules mandate that states submit approved voter lists and adhere to new ballot formatting prior to USPS delivering voting slips.
“have neither time nor funds”
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.
Two dozen states and the District of Columbia filed a fresh lawsuit on Wednesday to block the executive order restricting mail voting in this year's midterm elections.
The USPS said the new rule would be implemented immediately, applying to ballots for November's US midterm elections.
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.
The Supreme Court did not decide on the constitutionality of Trump's executive order.
A 2025 Brookings Institution study found only about four cases of fraud out of every 10 million mail ballots cast.
“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,”
Federal judge lifts final block on Trump mail-in voting order
The states argue that USPS skipped a review process for major nationwide changes to postal services or operations.
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 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,”
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 Postal Service rule requires states to follow a uniform envelope style for mail ballots and to give the Postal Service a list of voters eligible to receive them.
Trump issued an election executive order attempting to require documentary proof of citizenship to vote.
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.
A 2025 Brookings Institution study found roughly four cases of fraud for every 10 million mail ballots cast.
Republican-led states backed the administration before the Supreme Court, arguing that states would have an opportunity to provide input on the final lists of eligible voters.
US Postal Service Establishes New Procedures for Mail-In Ballots
The USPS stated it would refuse to deliver ballots to any state that is not in compliance with the new rules.
The new rule's changes will not take effect until a court lifts its current injunction.
State election authorities would have to enter voter information into a federal ballot mail portal before a ballot is accepted into the mail stream.
“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
The USPS stated that it received more than 200,000 responses during the public comment period for its proposed rule change.
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.
“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),”
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.
Leaders from 23 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration's proposed rules on mail-in voting.
In March, Donald Trump issued an executive order directing the Postal Service to implement new rules concerning mail-in ballots.
“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,”
US Postal Service mail-in ballot restrictions despite court ruling
Trump returned to office for a second term in 2025.
Leaders of 23 states and the District of Columbia challenged the Trump administration's plans to impose the new mail-in voting rules.
Postmaster General David Steiner defended the plan in June, arguing the rules would ensure postal officials match ballots a state believes it is sending out to what actually gets sent out.
Trump administration urges Supreme Court to allow mail-in voting order before midterms
The Justice Department asked the justices to halt lower court decisions blocking the executive order's changes in nearly half the country.
The Supreme Court ruled against the Trump administration in June, finding that states can count ballots that arrive after Election Day.
U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani, nominated by Barack Obama, agreed in June to halt implementation for the Nov. 3 elections.
“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,”