Judge again blocks Trump mail ballot executive order in ruling that’s likely to be swiftly appealed

A federal judge on Thursday temporarily halted President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail voting, marking the second time the directive has been blocked about a week before the first mail ballots are supposed to be dispatched for the upcoming midterm elections. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani granted a two-week reprieve to prevent the order's implementation.

This ruling follows Democrats and voting rights groups re-filing their lawsuits in line with a recent Supreme Court decision. The administration now has issued a formal rule governing the U.S. Postal Service's delivery of mail ballots, reigniting the legal battle. The ongoing legal wrangle carries significant implications for the midterms, as nearly one-third of Americans cast their votes by mail, and election officials report insufficient time to modify their systems to adhere to the new Postal Service guidelines.

The Postal Service stipulates that it will only deliver mail ballots if states furnish a list of eligible voters and format envelopes appropriately. The plaintiffs argue that states lack the time and resources to develop new mail ballots, seek approval for designs, order production, update election management systems, train officials, and upload voter data to the Postal Service portal before midterms.

A hearing is scheduled for September 3, and the White House has not yet commented on the matter. New York Attorney General Letitia James, among 22 Democratic attorneys general who filed one of the suits, expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the rule is an unconstitutional interference in elections beyond federal control.