The new mail-in voting requirements can be enforced for now, while another Trump-backed proposal seeks to require identification and proof of citizenship in federal elections.
The Donald Trump administration can move forward, for now, with new mail-in voting rules after two court decisions removed earlier blocks.
Trump Mail-In Voting Rules and Other Key Points in the New Election Battle – PHOTO: Referential image created with AI Federal Judge Indira Talwani on Wednesday lifted an order that had prevented the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from enforcing its new requirements.
Two days earlier, the Supreme Court had removed another block because the states filed their lawsuit before USPS published its final regulation.
The rule requires election officials to provide USPS with the names and addresses of mail-in voters through a new federal system.
Ballot envelopes will have to use unique barcodes, and their designs will need to be reviewed by the Postal Service.
Mailings that fail verification could be rejected.
Trump’s election push goes beyond mail-in voting. His administration also supports the SAVE America Act, a legislative proposal that is separate from the executive order.
The House of Representatives approved a version in February requiring documentary proof of citizenship when registering and identification to vote in federal elections.
The White House and Republicans argue that these measures would help prevent ineligible people from voting and increase confidence in election results.
Opponents argue that the new requirements could prevent eligible voters from receiving their ballots because of administrative mistakes, technical problems or delays.
A coalition of state attorneys general filed a new lawsuit against the final USPS regulation, arguing that it infringes on states’ constitutional powers.
USPS, by contrast, says the rules will improve ballot tracking and reduce fraud risks without determining who is eligible to vote.
A US federal judge lifted the temporary order that prevented the Postal Service from applying Donald Trump's executive order to restrict mail-in voting. https://t.co/tqj4ms7xGF
— EFE News (@EFEnoticias) August 27, 2026
The conflict now enters a decisive stage because states can directly challenge the final regulation, which did not previously exist.
Voting rights groups have also amended their lawsuit to challenge those final rules.
The underlying legal question remains unresolved: how much power the federal executive branch can exercise over elections that are administered primarily by the states, under rules that Congress can also regulate.
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SOURCE: EFE / CNBC / American Progress
