NBC News
· collected 2026-09-15 · by Jane C. Timm
The Supreme Court blocked a new U.S. Postal Service regulation aimed at mail-in ballots just weeks before midterm elections, siding with states and advocacy groups who argued that implementing the rule would disrupt voting processes and prevent millions from casting their ballots. The ruling was 7-2, with Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissenting. Challengers, including California and the League of Women Voters, contended that the regulation was unlawful and would interfere with voter participation across all states.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
Casting a decisive blow against President Donald Trump’s hopes of exercising federal control over the midterm elections, the Supreme Court on Monday prevented a U.S. Postal Service regulation concerning mail-in ballots from going into effect.
asserted
Court → cast → effect
The court in a brief order rejected an emergency application the Trump administration filed seeking to block a lower court ruling that said the regulation was most likely unlawful.
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regulation → reject → ruling
The court appeared to be divided 7-2, with two conservative justices, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, dissenting.
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justices → appear → ?
The measure would have imposed requirements on states for sending out mail-in ballots to voters.
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measure → impose → voters
Typically, the Postal Service has no such role.
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Service → have → role
Implementing those significant changes just weeks before the election would most likely have caused major problems, and advocates feared it would make it harder for millions of Americans to cast their ballots.
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millions → implement → ballots
Time was already running out for the rule to be implemented, with North Carolina sending out ballots Sept. 4 and other states following suit.
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states → run → suit
There were also questions about whether the Postal Service even had the technical means to put it into effect.
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Service → be → effect
Challengers, including various states led by California and nonprofit advocacy groups headed by the League of Women Voters, said the rule would cause unnecessary disruption ahead of the election and prevent people from voting.
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rule → include → people
“Today’s decision is a victory for our democracy and a powerful affirmation of the rule of law,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
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Bonta → say → statement
In a separate statement, Celina Stewart, CEO of the League of Women Voters, called the regulation “an extraordinary attempt to interfere with voting in all 50 states.”
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Stewart → call → states
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment Monday night.
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House → respond → comment
Trump frequently rails against the widespread use of mail-in ballots as part of his broader complaints, offered without evidence, that the election system is rife with fraud.
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system → rail → fraud
Under the new rule, states would have to submit lists of eligible voters to the Postal Service, which would then verify that ballots were being sent to people on that list before it delivered them.
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it → have → them
States would also have to comply with directions about envelope design.
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States → have → design
Trump’s initial order envisioned the federal government creating and sending the Postal Service lists of citizens and forcing it to send ballots to those people, but the final Postal Service proposal did not include that provision.
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proposal → envision → provision
In a dissenting opinion, Alito said the federal government had the better of the argument.
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government → dissent → argument
Concerns raised by states about the difficulties of implementing the rule gave him pause, he added, “but it is not enough to convince me.”
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it → raise → me
Alito also complained that courts, including the Supreme Court itself, were partly to blame for the case being decided so close to the election, saying they had taken too long to decide it.
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they → complain → it
Justice Brett Kavanaugh, another member of the court’s conservative majority, wrote a brief concurring opinion saying there is a “fair prospect” the Postal Service has the authority to issue the rule but added it had to be blocked because it was issued so close to the election.
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it → write → election
The Postal Service issued the regulation at the direction of the White House, with Trump issuing an executive order about the issue in March.
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Trump → issue → March
Massachusetts-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the regulation, saying the Postal Service had no authority to issue it.
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Service → base → it
She warned of the risk of “significant disenfranchisement” if the regulation were in effect and noted that the Trump administration had failed to offer any evidence that it was required to combat election fraud.
Various states have said they would not be able to comply with the regulation even if it were in effect, although some have indicated they could.
uncertain
they → warn → effect
A whistleblower complaint last week said the Postal Service system for checking ballots was flawed and that it could cause significant disruptions if it were implemented.
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it → say → disruptions
Talwani said that while litigation continues, states can voluntarily comply with the Postal Service regulation but have no obligation to do so.
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states → say → obligation
She also said the Postal Service cannot refuse to send ballots.
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Service → say → ballots
The federal government has downplayed the impact of the regulation, saying in court papers that it is a “modest design and information requirements for ballot-mail envelopes.”
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it → downplay → envelopes
When states send out ballots, the Postal Service would check to see that the envelopes were in compliance, and if they were not, they would be returned to election officials, Trump administration lawyers said.
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lawyers → send → officials
Trump issued his executive order after he failed to persuade the Republican-controlled Congress to pass his SAVE America Act legislation, which would impose new voting restrictions nationwide, including proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter ID.
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which → issue → citizenship
Talwani had earlier blocked key provisions of the executive order itself, but in an Aug. 24 ruling, the Supreme Court ruled she had acted prematurely.
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she → block → ruling
The Aporia
