US judge rebukes Postal Service over mail-in voting rule but won't block it

A Boston judge said USPS violated her order by issuing a final mail-in voting rule. The dispute sharpens legal uncertainty over postal ballots ahead of the November midterms.US President Donald Trump said he will lead a movement banning the use of mail-in ballots and voting machines ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. (Photo: Reuters)A federal judge in Boston has rebuked the US Postal Service for violating her order while moving ahead with a Trump administration-backed final rule that would impose new requirements on mail-in voting, but stopped short of blocking the rule for now.US District Judge Indira Talwani ruled on Tuesday that USPS had effectively disregarded her instructions when it issued the final rule last week. However, she declined to halt the measure because the agency acknowledged that it cannot implement the rule while her separate injunction remains in force.The ruling adds another layer of uncertainty to a growing legal battle over mail-in voting, with the dispute unfolding less than three months before the November midterm elections. Millions of Americans use mail ballots, meaning any changes to the rules could affect how voters cast their ballots this fall.The latest development came a day after the US Supreme Court suspended one of two orders previously issued by Talwani that had prevented USPS from acting on an executive order signed by President Donald Trump. The Supreme Court said the challenge brought by 23 mostly Democratic-led states had been filed prematurely, noting that courts should review final rules rather than proposed regulations or internal directives preceding them.However, a separate injunction secured by voting rights organisations, including the League of Women Voters, remained in effect. The groups had asked Talwani to find USPS in violation of that order after the agency released its final rule on Friday. Talwani agreed, saying USPS had "feigned compliance" with her ruling and disregarded her explicit instruction not to begin or complete rulemaking intended to implement Trump's executive order.The final rule would require states to provide USPS with lists of voters who received mail ballots. It would also require unique barcodes on envelopes used to send and return ballots.Despite finding the postal agency in violation, Talwani said there was no need to block the rule immediately because USPS itself had acknowledged that the measure could not be implemented while her injunction remained active.She also noted that the alleged violation could ultimately benefit the voting rights groups by allowing them to challenge a final rule rather than a proposed or hypothetical version.Trump signed the executive order in March as part of his long-running push for tighter restrictions on mail-in voting. He has repeatedly made false claims that widespread fraud was responsible for his defeat in the 2020 presidential election.The legal challenges are expected to continue, with California and Democratic Party organisations among those pursuing separate cases against Trump's order and its implementation.- EndsWith inputs from ReutersPublished By: Nitish SinghPublished On: Aug 26, 2026 03:51 IST