Elections & Democracy
Trump mail-in ballot curbs blocked by judge
A US federal judge has extended a block on President Donald Trump's bid to curb mail-in ballots, issuing a preliminary injunction that bars the US Postal Service from carrying out the plan before November's midterm elections.
US District Judge Indira Talwani had previously issued a temporary order blocking the postal plan in a lawsuit filed by a coalition of Democratic-led states. In her latest order, she said there was not enough time before the elections to implement the new procedures and said they threatened the "disenfranchisement of millions of United States citizens who seek to vote by mail."
The Democratic-led states argue that the US Constitution gives states, not the federal government, broad control over election administration.
Trump signed the executive order in March, saying without evidence that mail-in voting is vulnerable to fraud. The order would require lists of eligible voters to be compiled and would have USPS deliver ballots only to voters on those lists.
The Trump administration appealed Talwani's earlier ruling to the US Supreme Court and is expected to do the same with the latest order.
North Carolina began sending out mail-in ballots on Friday, and other states are expected to follow in the coming days.
An anonymous USPS whistleblower represented by Whistleblower Aid alleged this week that rushed postal systems could delay, block or prevent delivery of mail-in ballots to millions of Americans. USPS said it was reviewing the allegations, denied defying court orders and said no mandatory verification procedures were then in use.
Trump has long criticised mail-in ballots and has repeatedly claimed without evidence that mail voting is highly vulnerable to fraud. He has also used mail voting himself, including in Florida's Republican primary last month.
Update
US District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction barring USPS from carrying out the plan.
Talwani said there was not enough time before the November elections to implement the procedures.
Talwani warned the procedures threaten the disenfranchisement of millions of US citizens seeking to vote by mail.
North Carolina began sending mail-in ballots on Friday, with other states due to follow in coming days.
The Trump administration is expected to appeal the latest order.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 22:44:02 UTC.
Update
A federal judge extended the block on Trump's bid to curb mail-in ballots.
Source note: AFP news report published on 4 September 2026 at 22:00:31 UTC.
Update
Democratic-led states challenged the executive order on the grounds that states retain broad control over election administration under the US Constitution.
The executive order would require eligible-voter lists and would have the US Postal Service deliver ballots only to voters on those lists.
US District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the order last week, saying compliance was practically impossible and calling the regulation likely unconstitutional.
Talwani wrote that most plaintiff states had already ordered mail ballots and that some had to send them to eligible voters as early as the following week.
The request followed a separate Supreme Court temporary order lifting another lower-court block on the mail-in ballot executive order.
Trump used a mail-in ballot last month in Florida's Republican primary.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 21:42:58 UTC.
Update
The Trump administration asked the US Supreme Court to lift a lower court's block on an executive order curbing mail-in ballots.
The emergency request came two months before the November midterm elections and days before ballots were due to begin being sent out.
Source note: AFP news report published on 3 September 2026 at 20:59:28 UTC.
Update
USPS said it was reviewing the allegations but denied defying court orders.
USPS said no mandatory verification procedures are currently being used.
USPS said the portal will initially be offered only voluntarily to election officials.
Source note: AFP news report published on 2 September 2026 at 01:14:42 UTC.
Update
An anonymous US Postal Service official alleged that a new federal mail-ballot portal is rushed, poorly tested and could stop millions of voters from receiving ballots on time or at all.
Democratic US Senator Richard Blumenthal released the disclosure and urged Postmaster General David Steiner to abandon the plan.
The whistleblower alleged USPS may reject an entire batch of outgoing ballots if one sampled barcode fails to scan or match the federal system.
USPS had been working toward a September 1 launch, according to the whistleblower.
A Massachusetts federal judge allowed USPS to continue work on the online portal for states that voluntarily use it while blocking key parts of the wider plan.
Source note: AFP news report published on 1 September 2026 at 13:32:27 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The outcome and timing of any Trump administration appeal of the latest order are not yet clear.
The whistleblower's allegations about USPS systems have not been independently established in the supplied material.
Source
AFP news report published on .