Judge Extends Block on USPS Mail Ballot Rules

A federal judge on Friday extended a block on new U.S. Postal Service rules for mail-in ballots, preventing the agency from enforcing the requirements for the upcoming November midterm elections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction, replacing a previous temporary order and halting the implementation of a rule that stemmed from a March executive order by President Donald Trump. The dispute centers on a rule finalized by the Postal Service in August, which would mandate that election officials upload lists of voters requesting mail-in ballots to a federal portal. The rule also requires ballots to be sent in envelopes with specific federal barcodes. Under the proposed policy, the Postal Service would deliver ballots only to voters whose information appears on an approved list, and any ballots not complying with the federal requirements could be returned to election officials. Judge Talwani found that the challengers of the rule were likely to succeed in arguing that the Postal Service overstepped its authority.