The Supreme Court has rejected President Trump’s attempt to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections. This decision ensures that the U.S. Postal Service will continue its usual delivery of ballots.
Voting by mail has already started in states such as Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, with upcoming participation from Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington. These Western states primarily or exclusively use mail ballots. Trump’s plan would have required states to provide voter lists and use specific barcodes on ballot envelopes, a requirement blocked by a federal judge in Boston who ruled that such requirements may be illegal given the Postal Service’s lack of authority over mail-in voting.
A second federal judge also issued an injunction late Sunday. The Supreme Court’s majority decided to uphold this injunction, marking the Trump administration unlikely to win its case. Justice Brett Kavanaugh penned a concurring opinion, suggesting that while the plan might fall under the Postal Service’s authority, implementing it for the 2026 elections would violate administrative procedures due to a lack of preparation time.
Even some Republican state election officials, including those from Utah, warned in a Supreme Court brief about potential errors and delays if the plan were implemented now. Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented, willing to pause the judge’s ruling.
Trump called for these changes to prevent illegal voting, though studies show such fraud is rare. No evidence of mail-voting fraud was presented by the administration’s lawyers. Trump, who often critiques mail-in voting methods, cited higher Democratic participation in mail voting (37%) compared to Republicans (24%) in 2024, as per MIT Election Data and Science Lab data.
Interestingly, Trump himself voted by mail in Florida this year.
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