Supreme Court blocks Trump’s plan to restrict mail-in ballots

The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump's plan to restrict mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections. The court upheld a federal judge's order temporarily blocking the US Postal Service from implementing new rules for postal ballots. While the ruling upholds the temporary block, it is unlikely to be the final decision as litigation continues.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the ruling but hinted at a possible future ruling in Trump's favor. The order, signed by Trump in March, aimed to combat electoral fraud by directing the USPS to deliver ballots only to voters on verified lists. However, legal challenges argued that this move violated states' constitutional rights to run elections.

The court indicated that the final rule may fall within the Postal Service's statutory authority, but applying it in the 2026 elections would be arbitrary and capricious. The White House did not comment on the decision. Around 30% of voters, mostly Democrats, used postal ballots in the 2020 general election. Trump has long claimed that mail-in voting allows non-citizens to cast ballots and is prone to fraud.

Twenty-three states and Washington DC sued to stop Trump's order, with the postal workers' union also opposing it due to insufficient time for clerks to be trained. In court filings, the Trump administration maintained the new USPS rules were constitutional, arguing that states cannot exempt election-related mail from the Postal Service's rule-making authority.

The court's decision impacts states that have already begun distributing mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections.