Judge blocks USPS mail voting rule

A federal judge in Boston, Indira Talwani, issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a final rule that would impose new requirements on mail-in voting for the November 3, 2026 midterm elections. The rule, issued under an executive order by President Donald Trump, would require states to submit lists of mail voters to USPS and use envelopes with voter-specific barcodes. Judge Talwani found that challengers, including Democratic-led states and voting rights groups, were likely to succeed on claims that the rule is unconstitutional and that USPS lacks authority to issue it. She noted that compliance would be practically impossible for many states before the midterms. The administration appealed the ruling, and the case is expected to reach the Supreme Court, which had previously overturned an earlier injunction on procedural grounds.