US Supreme Court blocks Trump mail voting rules ahead of midterms
The US Supreme Court ruling blocks mail ballot restrictions from taking effect in 2026 and it marks the culmination of a lengthy legal battle.
Washington (dpa) - US President Donald Trump's administration has suffered a setback at the Supreme Court in its legal battle over stricter rules for mail-in voting.
The court on Monday declined to suspend a lower court ruling that has so far prevented the Trump administration from implementing the new rules.
In a brief explanation, the Supreme Court said the government was "unlikely to succeed" in its challenge to the lower court's preliminary injunction.
The administration had asked the Supreme Court to allow the stricter mail-in voting rules to take effect ahead of the midterm elections in early November.
By leaving the lower court order in place, states can continue sending out mail-in voting materials under the existing rules. In some places, ballots have already been sent.
Trump ordered in late March that the US Postal Service should only deliver mail-in voting materials to people listed on voter rolls previously compiled by the states.
Critics argue that the measure would turn the postal service from simply delivering election materials into an additional control authority in the voting process.
The move has led to a lengthy legal battle. A federal judge in Boston temporarily blocked Trump's plans in late August, calling the order "a likely unconstitutional regulation" that would be practically impossible to implement for the 2026 midterms.
US citizens will vote on November 3 for all seats in the House of Representatives and a portion of the Senate.
Republicans currently hold narrow majorities in both chambers and are seeking to defend them. Losing either chamber would make it significantly harder for Trump to advance his agenda during the remaining two years of his term.