Court says no, for now

The Supreme Court refused to let the Trump administration limit mail-in voting, leaving a lower court's block on new Postal Service rules in place.

“The Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court's preliminary injunction”

Ballots keep going out

States can continue mailing ballots to voters as planned ahead of the midterms, with no change to how they are designed or addressed.

What Trump wanted

Every mail ballot would carry a barcode tied to a voter's name and address, and states would hand USPS a list. Carriers would deliver only to names on it.

Modest, says the government

The administration called the rules light touch: small ballot design and review requirements, plus recipient data it argued was neither onerous nor intrusive.

A federal grab, say states

Democratic-led states and voter groups called it an attempt to federalize elections that the Constitution leaves to the states, and to make voting by mail harder.

Alito and Thomas dissent

In an eight-page dissent, Alito wrote that the Postal Service has wide power over the mail and that the challengers lacked standing to sue.

“The Postal Service has broad authority to regulate the mail.”

Punted to 2028

Kavanaugh sided with the majority only on timing, saying officials had too little time to comply. At least three justices are open to the argument next round.

“state and local election officials do not have sufficient time to reasonably implement the rule before the elections”