Trump administration asks Supreme Court to enforce tighter mail-in ballot rules

The Trump administration has moved quickly to revive tighter mail-in ballot rules after a federal judge temporarily blocked them ahead of the November midterm elections. The Justice Department asked the Supreme Court to lift the order issued by Boston-based U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani.

The U.S. Postal Service rule followed an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March. It would require states to provide USPS with lists of mail-ballot recipients and use agency-approved outbound and return envelopes carrying unique barcodes. The postal service could refuse to send ballots that fail to meet the standards or are linked to voters missing from the lists.

Critics say the requirements could disrupt thousands of legitimate votes as Republicans fight to retain control of Congress. They also argue that restricting mail-in voting could benefit Republicans because Democratic voters have traditionally been more likely to cast ballots by mail. Trump has repeatedly questioned the security of mail-in voting and made false claims of widespread fraud, including claims related to his 2020 loss to Joe Biden, although evidence of voter fraud is rare.

This is the second time the administration has asked the Supreme Court to defend Trump’s directive against challenges from states and voting-rights groups. On August 24, the court’s 6-3 conservative majority lifted an earlier injunction blocking the order. The court said a coalition of mostly Democratic-led states had filed that challenge too early, while its three liberal justices dissented. The latest emergency request places the ballot standards back before the court as the election approaches.