Supreme Court Blocks Trump Mail-In Ballot Restrictions Less Than Two Months Before Midterms

The U.S. Supreme Court refused to allow the Postal Service to enforce new restrictions on mail-in ballots ahead of the November 2026 congressional midterm elections, delivering a significant setback to the Trump administration's efforts to limit voting by mail. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that applying the rule in the midterms "would be arbitrary and capricious," and the Court's decision came after several states had already begun early voting.

The ruling capped a cascade of legal defeats for the administration on the ballot rule. A second federal district judge, one appointed by Trump himself, had separately blocked the restrictions on the same day, compounding the political damage ahead of the election.

In parallel legal losses, U.S. District Judge F. Dennis Saylor blocked the administration from implementing a rule that would have limited how long foreign students and journalists can remain in the United States without applying for visa extensions. Separately, a coalition of states and cities filed suit to block a Trump immigration rule restricting access to public benefits for non-citizens.