A federal court in the state of Massachusetts issued a nationwide preliminary injunction on Friday to block the US government from implementing restrictive new mail-in ballot rules for the 2026 midterm elections.

Judge Indira Talwani ruled that the United States Postal Service (USPS) overstepped its legal authority by attempting to regulate the "time, place, and manner" of elections. The court emphasized that under the Elections Clause of the US Constitution, the powers are reserved for individual states and the US Congress, leaving the executive branch with no inherent authority to intervene.

Talwani warned that forcing states to redesign envelopes and upload voter data to an unproven digital portal weeks before the Nov. 3 election would cause "inevitable" disenfranchisement.

The ruling noted that the policy stemming from President Donald Trump’s executive order would allow the USPS to "refuse to transmit" ballots that did not meet the new standards. It means millions of Americans could lose their right to vote if the USPS withheld ballots that did not comply with the new, complex standards.

The court found that many small rural jurisdictions lack the technology to print the required specialized barcodes. Additionally, the digital portal the government intended to use is not yet operational. The judge said the record contained "no evidence relating to fraudulent mail voting" to justify the sudden policy shift.

The ruling prevents the government from refusing to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots based on the new requirements.

While Trump has frequently advocated for tighter voting restrictions, the court denied the administration's request to pause the injunction. (AA)