A federal judge Thursday blocked a key provision of the Postal Service’s regulation governing mail-in ballots, effectively halting a crucial element of President Donald Trump’s proposed strategy to control the election process. The decision, made by Judge Indira Talwani in a case brought by the League of Women Voters and other groups, means that part of the executive order remains blocked for at least 14 days, with time running out to implement the regulation before the November election.
The executive order, initiated by the White House, directed the Postal Service to track mail-in ballots and potentially reject those submitted by individuals not on a federal list of eligible voters. Judge Talwani, in her ruling, argues that the president cannot insert the federal government into elections without explicit congressional authorization. She stated that the court finds plaintiffs likely to succeed on the merits of their claims, highlighting the lack of evidence regarding fraudulent absentee or mail-in voting. The government’s stated interest in ‘correcting an unsubstantiated problem through likely unconstitutional means’ is deemed disproportionate to the risk of disenfranchisement.
Talwani further noted that the administration had not offered ‘any evidence regarding fraudulent absentee or mail-in voting,’ a critical point of contention. The government’s goal of ‘correcting an unsubstantiated problem through likely unconstitutional means’ is deemed to be dwarfed by the risk of widespread voter disenfranchisement. Directly addressing the time frame ahead of the election, Judge Talwani added that states ‘have neither time nor funds’ to comply with the administration’s requirements, including updating election management systems and training staff. Based on the evidence before her, state compliance with what the Trump administration is asking of them before the 2026 midterms would be ‘practically impossible.’
In a separate decision Wednesday, Judge Talwani lifted an earlier injunction blocking vital elements of Trump’s executive order in a similar case brought by California and 22 other states. It is a different injunction from the one the Supreme Court lifted Monday in a similar case brought by California and 22 other states. The Supreme Court found that Judge Talwani had acted too hastily in ruling on the executive order but did not weigh in on whether the underlying proposal or the Postal Service regulation is lawful. The Supreme Court also oversees both cases, acknowledging that the Postal Service regulation is now blocked, but not addressing whether the underlying proposal or the regulation itself is lawful.
The ruling does not, however, halt the Department of Homeland Security’s requirement for the Postal Service to compile lists of eligible voters and send them to states, which remains in effect. The government’s interest in this aspect of the executive order is expected to continue, as the Court’s decision effectively limits the scope of the Trump administration’s authority to influence the election.”
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Source: NBC News
