Boston judge widens injunction on USPS actions under Trump voting directive

A federal judge in Boston, Indira Talwani, issued an expanded block on the U.S. Postal Service's execution of a central component of President Trump's executive order aimed at limiting mail-in voting. The latest injunction extends the earlier June ruling, which had restricted USPS actions in 23 states led by Democrats and the District of Columbia, to cover the entire nation. Talwani, nominated by former President Barack Obama, indicated that voting-rights organizations are expected to demonstrate that the order oversteps presidential powers under the Constitution and sows confusion among voters.

Under the contested directive, the Postal Service must create lists of eligible voters in each state and deliver absentee ballots only to individuals appearing on those lists. The president has defended the measure as a safeguard against illegal voting by non-citizens, a phenomenon studies say is rare. The judge's decision arrives while the Supreme Court considers a related earlier ruling. The article was edited by Benjamin Swasey.