Judge Blocks Trump Order Overhauling Mail-In Voting Policies

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued a nationwide order on Tuesday blocking the United States Postal Service from implementing an executive order issued by President Donald Trump to overhaul mail-in voting policies before the November 3 midterm elections. The ruling expands a previous injunction that had only covered the District of Columbia and 23 states.

The blocked provision would have permitted the postal service to refuse the delivery of mail ballots in states that failed to coordinate with the agency, restricting delivery only to individuals on lists of eligible voters. Judge Talwani ruled that the executive order was causing confusion and that the necessity of voter enfranchisement outweighs the executive's attempt to regulate elections.

President Donald Trump has defended the order as a necessary measure to prevent illegal voting by non-citizens. Meanwhile, the United States Department of Justice has petitioned the US Supreme Court to lift the earlier block on the policy.