US judge extends block on mail-voting restrictions ahead of November election
A preliminary injunction issued on 4 September 2026 keeps new Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots blocked as the administration appeals.
In short
- A preliminary injunction issued on 4 September 2026 keeps new Postal Service restrictions on mail ballots blocked as the administration appeals.
A US federal judge on 4 September 2026 extended a block on restrictions linked to President Donald Trump’s mail-voting executive order, keeping the disputed Postal Service changes on hold as preparations for the 3 November midterm elections advance.
District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction replacing an earlier temporary restraint. The administration appealed, according to The Guardian. The ruling preserves the block while litigation continues; it does not end the case.
The dispute concerns a system under which the Postal Service would use lists of eligible mail voters developed with states to limit ballot delivery. State officials challenging the changes argue that introducing them so close to the election would disrupt preparations and prevent eligible voters from receiving ballots.
Talwani cited states’ obligations to send millions of ballots on schedules set by law. Her ruling arrived as North Carolina began dispatching mail ballots.
The case is part of a broader dispute over federal authority in election administration. An earlier court order was set aside by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds, after which challengers renewed their suits against the Postal Service rule.
