In loss for Trump, US Supreme Court won't let Postal Service restrict mail ballots

The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to allow the US Postal Service to enforce a rule aimed at restricting mail-in ballots, a setback for President Donald Trump's efforts to curb voting by mail ahead of the November midterm elections. The court denied the Justice Department's request to overturn a ruling by Judge Indira Talwani, who blocked the Postal Service from enforcing the measure while legal challenges by states and voting-rights groups continued.

The agency implemented the rule following Trump's March executive order to tighten mail voting rules. Conservative Justice Samuel Alito joined Justice Clarence Thomas in dissenting from Monday's decision. The court, with a 6-3 conservative majority, had previously ruled against the rule, citing potential violations of the US Constitution and difficulties in complying with the impending midterms.

Critics argue the plan could disrupt ballot delivery and cause chaos, while the administration claims it would prevent voter fraud, a claim lacking substantial evidence. Talwani's injunction, upheld by another federal judge, stated that the rule likely violates the US Constitution, which grants states the power to set election rules.

Voting rights groups welcomed Monday's decision, emphasizing that the Constitution grants states and Congress the authority to set federal election rules, not the president or the Postal Service. California Governor Gavin Newsom, whose state filed a lawsuit against the rule, called Trump's attacks on democracy "un-American." Trump, who signed the executive order targeting mail-in ballots amid doubts about their security, has frequently cast unsubstantiated claims of widespread fraud in US elections, including his 2020 loss to Democratic President Joe Biden.