Overview
- A federal judge in Boston, Indira Talwani, issued a 14‑day preliminary injunction on Thursday that bars core parts of President Trump's finalized mail‑voting rules.
- The rules would have required states to upload voter lists to USPS, seek postal approval for ballot‑envelope designs, use barcoded envelopes, and limit USPS delivery to voters on submitted registries.
- The legal fight has moved fast: the Supreme Court lifted an earlier injunction on procedural grounds, states and voting groups refiled after USPS published final rules, and the administration is expected to press expedited appeals.
- Talwani said many states already ordered ballots and must begin mailing soon, warning the new requirements could cause production delays or deny ballots to voters who rely on mail voting, a group that made up about a third of recent turnout.
- The dispute centers on whether the executive branch and USPS can impose nationwide election rules that states normally set, and the case is likely to return to higher courts with major implications for how mail voting will work in November.