Supreme Court Blocks Trump Mail-In Ballot Restrictions

The Supreme Court of the United States blocked an effort by Donald Trump to implement restrictive new mail-in voting rules for the November 3, 2026, midterm elections. In a 7-2 decision issued September 14, the court upheld lower-court injunctions that prevented the United States Postal Service from enforcing regulations requiring states to use specialized barcodes on envelopes and upload voter lists to a federal portal. The rules would have authorized the postal agency to withhold ballots from non-compliant states.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh concurred with the majority, stating that while the Postal Service might possess the statutory authority to issue such rules, implementing them only 49 days before the election would be "arbitrary and capricious" because state and local officials lacked sufficient time to comply. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, arguing the government had a strong interest in preventing voter fraud.

Following the ruling, Postmaster General David Steiner confirmed the agency halted development of the required computer system. Donald Trump criticized the decision on social media, calling it a "big loss for Republicans" and claiming the court was "bullied and cajoled by the Radical Left." He specifically attacked three of his own appointees—Justices Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett—stating they are "merely a shell of their original selves."

Democratic governors and secretaries of state hailed the decision as a victory for democracy. Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the president's right to criticize the judiciary but confirmed the administration would comply with the order, though he maintained that federal probes into ineligible voters would continue.