Federal court blocks Trump's executive order limiting mail ballots [View all]

Last edited Thu Jun 25, 2026, 12:09 PM - Edit history (1)

Source: Washington Post

June 25, 2026 at 10:53 a.m. EDT


A federal judge Thursday blocked key portions of an executive order from President Donald Trump that sought to limit who can receive mail ballots, delivering a setback to the president as he tries to rewrite voting rules in a difficult political environment.

The ruling came a month after a different federal judge allowed Trump's executive order to stand. The latest ruling sidelines major provisions of the executive order despite the earlier ruling.

In March, Trump signed the order, which directed the Department of Homeland Security to create lists of citizens and the U.S. Postal Service to compile lists of voters who are eligible to receive ballots by mail. States led by Democrats and others sued, saying the president doesn't have the power to restrict who can receive ballots.

Judge Indira Talwani of the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts agreed with Democratic state attorneys general and blocked parts of the order. Talwani was appointed to the bench by President Barack Obama. The case is at an early stage and will continue, as will parallel litigation in federal court in Washington. Talwani's order prevents parts of the order from being implemented ahead of this fall's midterm elections.

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/06/25/court-blocks-trumps-executive-order-limiting-mail-ballots/