Trump administration appeals to SCOTUS after judge rules against mail-in ballot rules

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(The Center Square) – The Trump administration appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court once again after U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction on Friday before the holiday weekend prohibiting the U.S. Postal Service from implementing new mail-in ballot rules intended for election security.

Executive director of election integrity group the Honest Elections Project Jason Snead told The Center Square that “U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani's decision makes one thing clear: She is an activist judge helping the Left block a lawful order that it just doesn't like.

“The Trump Administration's simple, common-sense rule would put longstanding USPS recommendations into mandatory requirements for elections,” Snead said.

“But because of one federal district court judge who wants to play lawmaker, it likely won't be able to be implemented in time for the midterms, which will damage public trust in outcomes,” Snead said.

In August 2026, the United States Postal Service issued a final rule entitled "Ballot Mail for Federal Elections.” 

This rule makes it so that “outbound federal ballot mailings that do not comply with the rule's design standards or that are addressed to individuals not on the state's mail-in and absentee participation list, as submitted to USPS, ‘will not be accepted’ for delivery by USPS,” according to Congress.

Talwani’s preliminary injunction stated that it prohibits the USPS “from implementing mandatory sections of its final rule, Ballot Mail for Federal Elections … for the November 3, 2026 midterm elections.”

Talwani’s team has not yet responded to The Center Square’s request for comment.

This preliminary injunction replaced the “Temporary Restraining Order the Trump administration is currently asking the Supreme Court to lift,” as stated by SCOTUS Wire.

After Talwani’s preliminary injunction, the Trump administration appealed again to the Supreme Court.

Several months before the final rule in March 2026, Trump issued the Executive Order “Ensuring Citizenship Verification and Integrity in Federal Elections” in which the U.S. Postal Service was given directives to “issue regulations establishing uniform standards for mail-in or absentee ballots for federal elections,” as stated by Congress.

Many of these standards have been recommended but not required by the USPS.

The White House Press Office has not yet responded to The Center Square’s request for comment.

Talwani was nominated by then President Barack Obama in 2013 and confirmed by the Senate in 2014.