Story summary
The Trump administration has been pushing for new rules that would restrict mail-in voting, citing concerns about voter fraud. However, experts and officials from both parties have expressed concern that these rules could lead to widespread disenfranchisement of voters. The USPS was ordered by President Trump to implement these changes, which include requiring election officials to add unique barcodes to ballot envelopes and upload lists of people who requested ballots. However, a federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked the implementation of these new rules, citing concerns that they would be "virtually impossible" to comply with.
The new rules were set to take effect just weeks before the midterm elections, which are scheduled for November 3. North Carolina became the first state to start sending out mail-in ballots on Friday, despite the uncertainty surrounding the new federal rules. The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift a lower court's block on the order, but it remains unclear whether these changes will be allowed to take effect.
Critics of the new rules argue that they are an attempt by the Trump administration to centralize control of elections and undermine state authority over voting procedures. Notably, President Trump himself votes by mail, as do about a third of all U.S. voters. The Supreme Court is currently considering the legality of these changes, but it remains unclear how this will ultimately affect the election process.
Meanwhile, election officials are warning that implementing these new rules could lead to millions of ballots going undelivered. A whistleblower has warned that there are "potentially catastrophic problems" with the new system for handling federal election ballot mail. The implementation of these changes is being closely watched by election officials and voters across the country, who are concerned about the potential disruptions to the midterms.
Written for “Trump Mail Voting Restrictions” on 2026-09-05,
grounded in this article and the 15 other(s) covering the same event.
Trump asks SCOTUS to OK changes to mail-in ballots.
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Trump → ask → ballots
And, diesel prices hit record high
Good morning.
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You're reading the Up First newsletter.
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You → read → newsletter
Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox, and listen to the Up First podcast for all the news you need to start your day.
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you → subscribe → day
The Trump administration has asked the Supreme Court to lift a federal judge's temporary restraining order blocking the U.S. Postal Service from implementing the administration's plans to restrict mail-in voting.
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administration → ask → voting
President Trump issued an executive order in March calling for the Department of Homeland Security to develop lists of adult U.S. citizens in each state and for the USPS to refuse to deliver mail-in ballots when state election officials don't turn over these lists.
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officials → issue → lists
Last week, the Supreme Court addressed a procedural issue about one of the lawsuits related to the order.
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Court → address → order
Now, the administration is asking the court to weigh in on its legality.
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administration → ask → legality
North Carolina starts mailing out its absentee ballots today, officially kicking off this year's midterm voting season.
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Carolina → start → season
Here's what you need to know about the current state of mail-in voting.
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For now, mail-in voting is still available to all voters who are eligible for it in their states, NPR's Hansi Lo Wang tells Up First.
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Wang → mail → states
Election officials and voters are concerned that major disruptions to the midterms could occur if the Supreme Court allows the plan to move forward.
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plan → occur → midterms
Many election officials say it's too late to carry out the plan.
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it → say → plan
The administration didn't meet its own deadline today to publish its state-by-state lists of eligible voters.
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administration → meet → voters
The IRS has proposed a rule that would revoke the tax-exempt status of private schools and colleges that have programs designed to help students based on race.
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that → propose → race
Many institutions currently offer programs to support Black or Latino students who may be the first in their families to attend college.
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Some also aim to foster a diverse student body by offering scholarships and other initiatives.
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The administration argues these programs amount to racial discrimination.
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programs → argue → discrimination
The administration is attempting to apply financial pressure on these schools to get what it wants: an end to race-based programs, NPR's Adrian Florido says.
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Florido → attempt → programs
By operating as non-profit, tax-exempt entities, these schools avoid paying federal income taxes.
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schools → operate → taxes
This status also serves as a crucial fundraising tool, as donations from alumni and others become eligible for tax deductions.
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donations → serve → deductions
The IRS hasn't clarified how it plans to identify schools with programs it disapproves of, but it estimates that about 18,000 private schools could be affected.
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schools → clarify → programs
Legal challenges are likely to arise, as the authority of the IRS to unilaterally redefine racial discrimination and revoke tax-exempt status remains unclear.
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Federal prosecutors have charged an ICE officer with six counts of making false statements for allegedly lying to investigators about the shooting of a Venezuelan man in Minnesota earlier this year.
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The sealed criminal case was confirmed by a source not authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
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case → confirm → matter
In January, during the broad immigration crackdown in Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge, officer Christian Castro fired his weapon through a closed door, shooting Julio Sosa-Celis in the leg.
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Castro → know → leg
Castro initially claimed under oath that Sosa-Celis attacked him, but surveillance footage contradicted his claim.
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NPR's Ryan Lucas says these charges mark a rare instance in which the Justice Department is seeking to hold a federal immigration officer accountable for his actions.
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officer → say → actions
But Sosa-Celis' attorney said that the DOJ hasn't gone far enough, and Castro should face more severe civil rights charges.
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Castro → say → charges
NPR's Ryan Lucas says it is worth noting that no one has been charged in the killings of Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, two American citizens fatally shot by federal immigration officers during the same major enforcement operation earlier this year.
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one → say → operation
Lucas says shootings involving immigration officers are not uncommon, and under this administration alone, there have been more than 20.
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shootings → say → administration
Diesel prices have hit a record high with a national average of $5.85 per gallon, according to AAA.
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This spike surpasses the $5.81 diesel prices reached in June 2022, a few months after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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A gallon now costs up to $2 more than it did just before the Iran war.
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it → cost → war
Much of the industrial supply chain relies on diesel, and the increased costs may trickle down to consumers.
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Farming equipment relies heavily on diesel, and the rising cost of farming will eventually make food more expensive.
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food → rely → farming
About 90% of U.S. school buses run on diesel, and many school district budgets are strained as the new academic year begins.
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year → run → diesel
NPR's Newsmakers video podcast brings the biggest names in politics, business, sports, arts, and culture out of the headlines and into the interview chair to discuss the mark they're making on the world.
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they → bring → world
Follow the Newsmakers podcast or subscribe to NPR's YouTube channel to get new episodes as soon as they're available.
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Comedian Robby Hoffman says she doesn't yet know if there's any topic that's "off limits" in her work.
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that → say → work
…and 25 more, not listed.
