The Supreme Court refused to let new federal ballot rules take effect before the 2026 midterm elections, turning down the Trump administration’s emergency request to enforce a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule while the case proceeds on appeal, according to the court’s order as described in the source.
What the Court Did
The order states the government is “unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge” to a lower-court injunction, per the source’s description of the filing.
What the Blocked Rule Would Require
The rule was issued in late August under an executive order from President Donald Trump. According to what the source describes as a Supreme Court opinion, it would require states to redesign ballot envelopes with an election‑mail logo, high‑speed scanning capability, and a barcode tied to each voter. States would also need to send voter details to a USPS portal for review before ballots could be shipped.
Kavanaugh’s Concurrence
Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed with the outcome but wrote separately that the agency likely holds the power to issue such a rule. He added that applying it in the 2026 elections would be “arbitrary and capricious” under the Administrative Procedure Act because state and local officials lack sufficient time to implement it, according to his concurrence quoted in the source. The source notes this leaves the door open for the requirements in later contests.
Dissents From Alito and Thomas
Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented. Alito argued that several challengers lacked standing and criticized the states’ theory as a “Hail Mary pass” that “rarely succeeds,” asserting that the Postal Service has broad authority over mail handling, according to the source. A post by SCOTUS Wire also reported their dissents.
How the Case Reached the Court
A coalition of Democratic‑led states, Washington, D.C., and voting‑rights groups sued to stop the rule, Reuters reported, per the source. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked it on Sept. 4, finding it conflicted with states’ authority to run their own elections, and the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals declined to pause her order, according to the source. The dispute now returns to that court with the midterms roughly seven weeks away.
What the Administration Says
Solicitor General D. John Sauer described the plan as modest and called the injunction baseless, according to The Hill as cited in the source. White House spokesperson Lauren Bis defended the effort, telling Axios the rule sets “commonsense measures to protect the security of mail‑in ballots and ensure only Americans vote in American elections,” per the source.
What’s Next
With the Supreme Court declining emergency relief, the USPS rule remains blocked for the 2026 cycle while the appeal continues in the 1st Circuit, according to the source.
