D.C. Circuit Clears USPS to Advance Ballot Barcoding Rule

A federal appeals court has cleared the way for the U.S. Postal Service to advance a controversial rule that would impose new requirements on states that mail ballots for federal elections. The ruling, issued on July 17, 2026, by a three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, temporarily stays a lower court order that had blocked the policy.

The proposed rule stems from an executive order on election integrity signed by President Donald Trump in March 2026. It would require states to provide voter registration lists and use serialized barcodes on ballots before the Postal Service would process and deliver them for federal elections. The court's order is a procedural victory, allowing the USPS to move forward with finalizing the rule while the underlying legal challenge proceeds.

First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli hailed the decision, stating it is a win for election integrity and would have significant implications for states like California that refuse to submit their voter rolls to verify compliance with federal election laws. The ruling is temporary and does not resolve the merits of the lawsuit, which was brought by the NAACP.