Supreme Court Keeps USPS Mail-Ballot Rule Blocked for Midterms

September 29, 2026

The Supreme Court blocked a new U.S. Postal Service regulation that would have imposed stringent requirements on mail-in voting for the upcoming midterm elections, maintaining existing state voting systems. The rule, issued in August to implement President Trump's election integrity executive order, would have mandated USPS-approved envelopes, a new federal database of voter information, and exact data matching, with non-compliant ballots being rejected. A coalition of civil rights organizations successfully challenged the regulation, arguing the president lacks constitutional authority over state-run elections and that USPS must deliver valid election mail.

Who is affected

Nearly 48 million American voters who cast mail ballots (approximately one-third of all voters in 2024)
Voters in eight states and Washington, D.C. that conduct all-elections by mail
Asian American voters (roughly half of whom vote by mail)
Elderly people, people with disabilities, rural residents, students away from home, people with language-access needs, and voters in mixed-status families
More than 10,000 election jurisdictions across the United States
State and local election officials
U.S. Postal Service workers
The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts and coalition partners (ACLU, Brennan Center for Justice, NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Asian Americans Advancing Justice)

What action is being taken

The Supreme Court is denying the federal government's request to lift the preliminary injunction
USPS is being blocked from enforcing the new mail ballot rule for the midterms
The coalition is continuing litigation to seek a permanent injunction against the rule
Voters are being encouraged to confirm registration, check state rules, request and return mail ballots early, and track ballots online

Why it matters

This ruling preserves access to mail-in voting for millions of Americans who rely on it as their primary or only practical method of casting ballots. The blocked USPS rule would have created technical barriers—including a non-operational federal portal, exact data matching requirements, and approved envelope specifications—that election officials and postal workers described as "impossible" to implement before the midterms. The case addresses fundamental constitutional questions about presidential authority over state-administered federal elections and protects the longstanding principle that USPS must deliver valid election mail. For vulnerable populations including elderly voters, people with disabilities, and those in mixed-status families, mail voting provides essential access to democratic participation, and the ruling prevents potential disenfranchisement of otherwise eligible voters due to technical failures or administrative complications.

What's next

The coalition will continue litigation seeking a permanent injunction against the USPS rule
Voters should confirm their registration at their current address
Voters should check their state's voting rules
Voters should request and return mail ballots early
Voters should track ballots online if possible
Voters should have a backup voting plan if a ballot doesn't arrive
Voters can contact nonpartisan Election Protection hotlines for assistance (866-OUR-VOTE for English, 888-VE-Y-VOTA for Spanish, 888-API-VOTE for Asian languages, and 844-YALLA-US for Arabic)

Read full article from source: The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint