Federal Courts Block Trump Election Orders and USPS Ballot Rule

Federal courts have dealt a series of legal blows to Donald Trump's efforts to restrict mail-in voting and mandate citizenship verification. In Boston, Judge Denise Casper permanently blocked a March 2025 executive order that would have required documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration and prohibited the counting of ballots arriving after Election Day. Judge Casper ruled that the president lacks constitutional authority over elections, which are reserved for states and Congress, and noted that the Department of Justice provided no evidence of widespread voter fraud.

Simultaneously, Judge Indira Talwani blocked a separate March 31 order that directed the United States Postal Service (USPS) to create a federal voter list. This directive would have allowed the USPS to refuse delivery of ballots in states that declined to share sensitive voter data and barcodes. Postmaster General David Steiner defended the rule during a Senate hearing on June 24, arguing it ensured security, but 47 Democratic senators condemned the move as an illegal power grab.

In response to these rulings, Trump canceled the signing of a bipartisan housing bill, declaring he will not sign further legislation until Congress passes the SAVE America Act to establish uniform photo ID and citizenship requirements. While the White House signaled its intent to appeal the judicial decisions, the current injunctions protect the 2026 midterm election cycle from these federal restrictions.