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

The US Supreme Court has blocked President Donald Trump's attempt to impose stricter regulations on mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections, according to the latest legal developments. While the ruling upholds a temporary injunction issued by a federal judge, it may not be the final verdict as the case continues to evolve.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, a conservative, agreed with the court's decision but expressed a possibility of reversing his stance in the future if the legal proceedings progress in Trump's favor. The president had previously signed an executive order that aimed to limit the USPS from delivering ballots only to voters listed in verified citizen databases.

Legal challenges argued that this move infringed upon states' rights to conduct elections. Justice Kavanaugh believed that the final rule complies with the USPS's statutory authority but cautioned that applying the rule in 2026 might be deemed arbitrary and capricious. Conservative justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, labeling the challenge as a "Hail Mary pass" with low chances of success, stating that the Postal Service possesses broad authority to regulate the mail.

The White House has yet to comment on the ruling. Historically, around 30% of voters, predominantly Democrats, have utilized mail-in ballots in the general election two years ago. In his pursuit to restrict mail-in voting, Trump has claimed that this method allows non-citizens to cast ballots and is susceptible to fraud. Following the executive order, 23 states and Washington DC filed lawsuits to stop the implementation of the order, along with the postal workers' union, citing insufficient training for clerks before the election.

The Trump administration argued that states cannot utilize federal mail for elections while simultaneously exempting their election-related mail from the Postal Service's rule-making authority, as Congress had established. Judge Indira Talwani issued an injunction on September 4, blocking Trump's order, claiming that enforcing the measures near the election could disenfranchise voters.

The issue remains contentious, with some states already initiating the distribution of mail-in ballots before the midterm elections, determining the party's control over Congress. This development is not the first setback for Trump's postal ballot restrictions; in June, the Supreme Court ruled that states can count ballots postmarked by election day, rejecting the administration's attempt to prevent votes postmarked after polls close from being considered.