The Trump administration has once again approached the Supreme Court, requesting a temporary pause on an order from a federal judge in Boston that prevents parts of a new U.S. Postal Service rule regarding mail-in ballots from being implemented. U.S. Solicitor General D. John Sauer argued that the order, issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, undermines the Postal Service’s aim to mitigate voter fraud risks associated with mail-in voting. Sauer emphasized that mail-in voter fraud dilutes legitimate votes and erodes trust in election integrity.
This marks the second occurrence in under two months of the administration seeking the Supreme Court’s intervention to advance its mail-in voting rule. In March, President Trump signed an executive order mandating federal agencies to implement measures on mail-in voting, including citizenship verification and federal oversight of state-issued federal ballots. However, a coalition of 23 states and the District of Columbia contested this order, citing its conflict with state autonomy over election regulations as enshrined in the Constitution.
Judge Talwani blocked these federal measures in specific states and the District of Columbia until at least November 3, 2026. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit opted not to grant a pause on Talwani’s order, prompting the Trump administration to appeal to the Supreme Court, alongside support from a number of states led by Alabama. Nearly a month after this appeal, the Supreme Court allowed the administration to initiate the executive order, citing insufficient injury to the states challenging the rule.
Judge Talwani had previously lifted an injunction against another provision of the executive order, but temporarily restrained the administration from enforcing parts of the new USPS rule, such as ballot envelope designs and voter data portals. The administration has requested the Supreme Court to suspend Talwani’s order, citing potential “serious irreparable harm” if enforcement is delayed, particularly as some states prepare to mail out ballots early in September.
The Supreme Court has mandated the challengers to respond by September 8. For further details, refer to the full article on SCOTUSblog.