The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has issued a temporary restraining order blocking a U.S. Postal Service rule that would have required states to register mail-ballot voters with USPS and obtain federal approval of ballot envelope designs before the November 3 midterm elections, according to Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
Federal court blocks USPS mail-ballot rule, finding compliance before November elections 'practically impossible'
The U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts has issued a temporary restraining order blocking a U.S. Postal Service rule that would have required states to register mail-ballot voters with USPS and obtain federal approval of ballot envelope designs before the November 3 midterm elections, according to Connecticut Attorney General William Tong.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 31 directing USPS to transmit mail ballots only to voters appearing on a national list of eligible voters. On August 21, USPS announced a rule implementing those directives, requiring states to register every mail-eligible voter with USPS, comply with new envelope design standards subject to USPS approval, and input voter information into a new federal tracking portal. Under the rule, USPS would not deliver ballots to voters absent from USPS-generated lists or ballots in non-compliant envelopes.
On August 26, Tong joined a coalition of 25 states and the District of Columbia in filing suit to block the rule. The court found that the plaintiffs were likely to succeed in arguing USPS lacked authority to issue the rule and that the rule is otherwise unconstitutional, according to Tong's office. The court also determined that compliance before the November elections was 'practically impossible' and that the rule created a significant risk of voter disenfranchisement.
The temporary restraining order will remain in place while the court considers whether to enter a preliminary injunction. The coalition is co-led by the attorneys general of California, Massachusetts, Nevada, and Washington, and also includes the attorneys general of Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaiʻi, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, and the governor of Pennsylvania.
According to the States United Action nonprofit organization, 31% of voters — approximately 48 million — cast ballots by mail in the 2024 election, with white voters, voters over 65, and military personnel being the most likely groups to vote by mail.
- The source does not include any statement, response, or rationale from USPS or the Trump administration regarding the court's ruling or the underlying rule.
- The source does not state the specific date on which the temporary restraining order was issued.
- The source does not state when the court expects to rule on the motion for a preliminary injunction.
- The source does not identify which November 3 midterm elections are referenced, as the article does not specify the election year.
- The source does not state the figures or methodology behind States United Action's claim that 31% of voters cast ballots by mail in 2024, beyond attributing it to that organization.
Read the original at CT News Junkie