Judge says USPS pretended to follow court order on mail-ballot rule
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani found the Postal Service violated her stay by finalizing a mail-in ballot rule, accusing it of feigned compliance.
In a sharply worded opinion, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani held that the United States Postal Service breached the stay she issued by adopting a final rule governing mail-in ballots. The USPS argued the rule would not apply to the upcoming November midterm elections, but Talwani said the agency ignored the court’s explicit directive not to start or finish rulemaking and merely pretended to obey the earlier California v. Trump injunction.
Although she did not levy a penalty, she formally declared the violation. The ruling comes after the Supreme Court lifted a separate stay on President Donald Trump's mail-ballot executive order, while Talwani’s injunction remains active. The judge’s criticism highlights continuing legal disputes over election-related mail services.
Why it matters
The finding could shape how mail ballots are processed for the November midterm elections.
How this story developed
- Aug 21 Supreme Court lets Trump’s White House ballroom project proceed for now
- Aug 21 The Supreme Court temporarily lifted the injunction, permitting construction to resume.
- Aug 22 Chief Justice John Roberts granted a temporary administrative stay permitting construction to continue.
- Aug 22 The Supreme Court suspended a district judge’s injunction that barred key parts of President Trump's mail-in voting directive, creating uncertainty as absentee voting nears.
- Aug 24 The Supreme Court’s stay now keeps construction active while the broader legal challenge proceeds.
- Aug 25 Supreme Court lifted the June injunction but left a second injunction in place, keeping parts of the order blocked.
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