The US Supreme Court denied President Trump's request to restrict mail ballots for the midterm elections, allowing states to continue their usual processes. This decision affects nearly one-third of votes cast and represents a significant defeat for Trump, who has long opposed mail voting despite using it himself. The ruling came after some states had already begun sending out ballots, making any last-minute changes impractical.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-15,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
The decision allows states to continue sending out mail ballots under the same processes they’ve used for years and have accounted for nearly a third of votes cast.
asserted
they → allow → votes
US President Donald Trump's attempt to limit mail-in ballots for the midterm elections was denied by the US Supreme Court on Monday, ending a flurry of last-minute legal action with voting already under way.
asserted
attempt → limit → way
The decision allows states to continue sending out mail ballots under the same processes they’ve used for years and have accounted for nearly a third of votes cast.
asserted
they → allow → votes
According to the Supreme Court majority, the Trump administration’s push to implement the restrictions this year is likely to lose in court, though the brief emergency order didn’t detail its reasoning.
uncertain
order → accord → reasoning
Two justices, Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, publicly dissented.
asserted
justices → dissent → ?
Alito in his dissent said the Postal Service “has broad authority to regulate the mail” and likely does have the power to enforce Trump’s restrictions, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh agreed that the restrictions should not go into effect for the midterms but indicated he might rule in favour of the Trump administration if the issue comes back before the court at a later time.
uncertain
issue → say → time
The decision represents a stark defeat for Trump on an issue he consistently has emphasised as vital to ensuring election integrity even though there is virtually no evidence of fraud with mail ballots.
asserted
he → represent → ballots
The Trump administration had asked the justices to clear the way for restrictions before the pivotal November contests for control of Congress.
asserted
administration → ask → Congress
Even though he uses the method to cast his own ballot, including as recently as this year, Trump has long opposed mail voting and falsely blamed it for his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Mail ballots already being sent to voters
US election officials have said there was simply no way to carry out a complete overhaul in the weeks before the midterms.
asserted
officials → use → midterms
Indeed, Alabama, North Carolina and Wisconsin began sending mail ballots to voters over the past week while the new system was still not active.
asserted
system → begin → week
The Trump administration plan would require states to adopt a uniform envelope style and submit lists of eligible voters to an online portal.
asserted
plan → require → portal
The Postal Service could refuse to deliver ballots to states that didn’t comply.
uncertain
that → refuse → states
The administration’s efforts had the potential to be especially disruptive in states that send out ballots entirely by mail.
asserted
that → have → mail
Washington’s Secretary of State Steve Hobbs, a Democrat, said the decision means work “to carry out a safe, secure, and accurate election” can continue ”without having to upend our election processes to meet unrealistic ballot mail requirements.”
asserted
work → say → requirements
In Arizona, another largely vote-by-mail state, Democratic Secretary of State Adrian Fontes said, "It is crucial for us to continue rejecting the notion that access and security are mutually exclusive when it comes to running strong elections.”
asserted
it → vote → elections
Utah Lt Gov Deidre Henderson, a Republican serving as the state’s chief election officer, said on social media that the Supreme Court’s decision means “Utahns can have confidence that the 2026 election will proceed as normal.”
asserted
election → serve → confidence
The White House and Justice Department did not immediately respond to requests for comment but have in the past framed the restrictions as commonsense changes aimed at keeping elections secure.
asserted
House → respond → elections
State officials and voting rights groups pushed back
Democratic state officials and voting rights groups challenged the restrictions in court, arguing that the president has no constitutional authority to set election rules that would “virtually eliminate mail voting on the eve of a major election.”
asserted
that → push → election
Meanwhile, a whistleblower report said the postal system’s requirements could lead to millions of mail ballots never being sent, because problems with the not-yet-operational portal meant a single bar code error could result in an entire batch of ballots being tossed out.
uncertain
batch → say → ballots
Some states don’t have the infrastructure to quickly pivot back to in-person voting, according to court documents.
uncertain
states → have → documents
The League of Women Voters, a plaintiff in the case, called the proposed restrictions “an extraordinary attempt to interfere with voting” and said it would have thrown elections into chaos.
asserted
it → call → chaos
“Voters should never be caught in the middle of a political power warfare,” said CEO Celina Stewart.
asserted
Stewart → catch → warfare
Lower courts agreed to block Trump’s plan, including a preliminary injunction issued by a judge nominated by the president.
But the Trump administration appealed to the Supreme Court, arguing that federal control of the Postal Service allows them to set rules for mail ballot handling and that compliance was possible.
asserted
compliance → agree → handling
The federal government won an early procedural decision at the Supreme Court, but the justices pointedly did not decide the legality of the plan until now.
asserted
justices → win → plan
The Aporia
