Supreme Court Lifts Injunction Blocking Trump Mail-Ballot Restrictions in 23 States and D.C. Ahead of Midterms

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday lifted a lower-court injunction that had blocked President Trump's executive order restricting mail-in ballot distribution across 23 states and Washington, D.C., allowing the restrictions to take effect ahead of November's midterm elections. The unsigned order represented a provisional win for the Trump administration, which had sought emergency Supreme Court intervention after a divided federal appeals court upheld the block.

Trump's March executive order directs federal agencies to create voter eligibility lists and bars the U.S. Postal Service from delivering ballots to anyone not on those lists. The court's three liberal justices dissented from the order.

The USPS had separately finalized a rule adding additional hurdles to mail-in voting even while court orders kept the broader effort on hold. Critics of the restrictions argued they would sow confusion and risk disenfranchising eligible voters ahead of the midterms.