A federal appeals court Friday temporarily revived the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to move forward with a Trump-backed rule that could severely restrict mail voting ahead of the 2026 midterms.
The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted USPS’ request to pause an order from U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan that blocked the agency from implementing standards and procedures in its proposed mail ballot rule while the case continues.
The rule stems from President Donald Trump’s March executive order attacking mail-in voting.
The panel found that USPS had made a strong showing that it is likely to succeed on two arguments: that the NAACP’s challenge to the proposed rule is not yet ripe for review, meaning the court may have acted too early, and that the rule likely would not violate the settlement even if finalized.
The appeals court also credited USPS’ argument that leaving Sullivan’s injunction in place would prevent the agency from issuing and implementing a final rule before the November 2026 general election.
In this context, the panel wrote, “there can be no do over” once the election occurs.
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