A second federal judge has halted a new U.S. Postal Service rule tied to an executive order by President Donald Trump on mail voting, adding fresh uncertainty just weeks before the midterms. Recently, U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols in Washington, D.C., issued a preliminary injunction stopping the Postal Service from carrying out the rule, according to the Associated Press. The Supreme Court is already considering the administration’s appeal of a separate order from a Boston-based judge that blocked the same rule ahead of the election, AP reported.
The case stems from a Trump executive order earlier this year that directed changes to how mail ballots are handled. The Postal Service followed with regulations issued in August. As described by the Associated Press, the rule would require states to get postal pre‑approval for ballot envelope designs and to upload certain voter information to an online portal that officials say is not yet active. Election officials have told AP it would be unworkable to launch those changes this close to a general election.
This ruling makes two trial‑court judges who have stopped the rule for now. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston previously barred the Postal Service from enforcing it ahead of the election. The administration asked the Supreme Court to intervene in that case. AP says the justices briefly lifted an earlier freeze, saying the Boston lawsuit was filed too early. After the Postal Service formally issued the rule in August, plaintiffs in both Boston and Washington refiled, and Nichols granted the new request for an injunction.
AP reports that Nichols had previously declined to block the policy earlier this year, finding the challenge premature at that time. In his latest order, he said the rule could lead to some valid mail ballots going uncounted.
The Postal Service rule has drawn pushback from inside and outside the agency. According to the Associated Press, a whistleblower report to Congress warned the changes could disenfranchise voters if they took effect for the midterms. The union representing postal workers has also opposed the executive order, saying it is not the role of carriers and clerks to verify voter eligibility, AP reported.
The timing pressure is real. AP says mail ballots are already being sent in several states, with more starting in the coming days. With ballots in motion, even small procedural changes can ripple through printing, mailing, and counting operations at the local level.
Why it matters
This fight could affect how millions of mail ballots are prepared, delivered, and counted just as voting ramps up. Court orders arriving close to Election Day can force last‑minute changes that confuse voters and strain local election offices. The Supreme Court’s next move could help determine whether states keep following their usual mail‑ballot practices or scramble to adjust on the fly.