Trump-appointed Judge Blocks Postal Service Rule Limiting Mail-In Ballots Ahead of Midterms

A Trump-appointed federal judge, Carl Nichols, has issued a preliminary injunction halting the United States Postal Service’s recently adopted Final Rule that would require all absentee and mail-in ballots for federal elections to be placed in specially designed envelopes and sent only to voters verified through a new “Federal Ballot Mail Portal.” Nichols argued the Postal Service cannot enforce the rule because Congress has not granted it the necessary statutory authority, and he warned that, without the injunction, a substantial number of legitimate ballots might be excluded from the upcoming November midterm elections.

The decision comes after the Supreme Court’s 6-3 ruling that permits the executive branch to start enforcing President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at restricting mail-in voting, while noting the ruling is not the final word. The judge’s order underscores the constitutional question of whether the executive branch can regulate election procedures, which the Constitution reserves for the states and Congress under Article I, Section 4.

Legal experts see the injunction as a significant setback for the administration’s effort to curb mail-in voting ahead of the elections. The case will continue to be litigated as both sides argue over the separation of powers and the legality of the new voting restrictions.