Judge Blocks USPS Mail Ballot Rule Ahead of Midterms

A federal judge in Boston on Thursday night temporarily blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a new rule that would have tightened requirements for mail-in ballots ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a 14-day temporary restraining order, halting enforcement of key provisions of the rule that was finalized earlier in the week. The rule, adopted at the direction of President Donald Trump, would have required states to submit lists of mail ballot recipients to the USPS and mandated that all ballot envelopes bear unique barcodes.