WASHINGTON—The Trump administration’s bid to deploy the U.S. Postal Service to regulate mail-in ballots is back at the Supreme Court for the second time in as many weeks.
Federal Judge Blocks Postal Service Rules Amid Constitutional Concerns
A federal district judge has blocked new rules from the Postal Service, citing concerns that they may be unconstitutional. Solicitor General John Sauer emphasized the urgency of the situation, noting that once ballot envelopes are sent through the mail, they cannot be retrieved. He urged the Supreme Court to lift the judge’s block promptly. In response, the Supreme Court has mandated that the groups challenging the Postal Service’s regulations submit their responses by Tuesday morning, suggesting that a resolution to the appeal will not occur before that deadline.
The appeal is the latest phase in a complex and fast-moving fight stemming from a March 31 executive order that President Trump issued on mail voting. 10, and she is considering whether to issue a longer-term block. Because the Postal Service hadn’t yet enacted any of the policies that the executive order directed, last week, the Supreme Court ruled that a challenge to the executive order was premature. Because the Constitution authorizes states to manage elections, with oversight from Congress, she said the rules appear to exceed the agency’s authority.
The Trump administration says the new rules are critical to protect the integrity of the midterms. Trump has repeatedly contended that mail voting is rife with fraud. Studies haven’t shown evidence of widespread fraud. States and voting-rights groups say the proposed postal rules would create mass confusion on the eve of the election and could disenfranchise many eligible voters. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, issued a temporary restraining order last week blocking the Postal Service from enforcing most of the regulation. Congress hasn’t passed any law, she wrote, that “would permit the USPS to regulate election mail. Talwani’s restraining order is scheduled to expire on Sept.
The matter is also pending before a federal appeals court, but that court hadn’t ruled before the Trump administration filed its latest appeal to the Supreme Court.
