President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order on election integrity in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C., on March 31, 2026. On Thursday, a judge issued an injunction against enforcing the executive order's provisions concerning mail-in ballots. File Photo by Aaron Schwartz/UPI | License Photo
Aug. 28 (UPI) -- A federal court judge Thursday night barred the Trump administration from enforcing mail-in voting restrictions, ruling in favor of voting rights groups and more than two dozen Democratic-led states as November's midterm elections near.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Massachusetts issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking enforcement of key aspects of a rule that authorizes the U.S. Postal Service to screen outbound mail-in ballots for compliance with envelope standards and verify that recipients have been entered on their state's USPS Mail-IIn and Absentee Participation list.
In her ruling, the Barack Obama-appointee said the late-adopted rule is likely to cause "substantial confusion" among states attempting to implement it ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. She also said the plaintiffs face irreparable harm and significant risk of disenfranchisement ahead of the Nov. 3 elections due to time constraints in implementing the rule.
