Overview
- A federal judge in Boston has left a preliminary injunction in place that blocks key parts of the USPS rule through the midterms and the administration has filed an emergency appeal asking the Supreme Court to lift that order.
- The rule would require states to upload lists of mail‑ballot recipients into a USPS Ballot Portal, print a voter‑specific Intelligent Mail barcode (IMb) on outgoing and return envelopes, and allow USPS to refuse delivery when barcode records do not match portal data.
- An anonymous USPS whistleblower warned the Ballot Portal was rushed and flawed and that a single unreadable barcode could trigger rejection of an entire bulk mailing, a failure mode that election officials say could return thousands of ballots to states.
- Judge Indira Talwani found the rule likely unconstitutional and unworkable ahead of the election, while Solicitor General D. John Sauer argues the agency is exercising routine mail‑regulation authority and that the rule protects election integrity.
- The dispute raises core questions about the Elections Clause, federalism and the major‑questions doctrine, and its outcome could reshape election logistics for the 2026 midterms and set precedents for federal involvement in state‑run elections.