Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions blocked by a second judge

A second federal judge has blocked President Donald Trump's administration from enforcing a new U.S. Postal Service rule that would tighten mail-in voting requirements. The decision, made by Washington-based US District Judge Carl Nichols late on Sunday, comes amid Republicans' efforts to maintain control of both houses of Congress in the November 3 midterms.

The president, who has long claimed that his 2020 election loss was due to widespread voter fraud, has advocated for restrictions on mail-in voting for years. The Democratic Party had sought a preliminary injunction to block the rule, arguing that it constituted an unlawful federal intrusion into election administration. Judge Nichols ruled that "no statute grants the Postal Service the power to issue key parts of the rule."

The case is pending review by the U.S. Supreme Court, which is considering the administration's request to overturn an earlier order blocking the same rule.