WASHINGTON — September 6, 2026 — The Trump administration has renewed its request to the U.S. Supreme Court to allow new restrictions on mail-in voting to take effect ahead of the November congressional elections.
Administration lawyers filed an emergency application with the nation’s highest court on Sunday, seeking permission for the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to implement rules that would impose new requirements on mail-in ballots.
The request follows a decision by a federal judge in Boston to extend an order blocking the restrictions from taking effect.
With the lower court continuing to prevent implementation of the rules, the Supreme Court is now expected to determine whether the administration’s proposed changes can proceed before ballots are distributed across the country.
Administration Seeks Immediate Implementation
Solicitor General John Sauer, representing the Trump administration, urged the Supreme Court to allow the new rules to take effect immediately.
The administration argues that keeping the restrictions on hold could create uncertainty as states begin preparing and distributing mail-in ballots for the November 3 midterm elections.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has set Wednesday as the deadline for responses to the administration’s latest request.
The administration had previously submitted an emergency application seeking to overturn the lower court’s temporary order. However, after the judge extended the restrictions on Friday, the administration filed a new request with the Supreme Court.
New USPS Requirements
The proposed restrictions stem from a rule issued by the U.S. Postal Service following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in March.
Under the new requirements, states would be required to provide USPS with lists identifying voters who are eligible to receive mail-in ballots.
Mail ballot envelopes would also be required to carry unique barcodes for both outgoing and returning ballots.
The rules would give USPS authority to refuse to deliver ballots that fail to meet the new requirements or are connected to voters who do not appear on the approved lists.
Debate Over Mail-In Voting
The administration’s push to change mail-in voting rules comes amid a long-running political debate over the use of postal ballots in U.S. elections.
President Trump has repeatedly advocated for tighter restrictions on mail-in voting and has previously made unsubstantiated claims concerning widespread voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
Voting by mail remains widely available across the United States. All states provide some form of mail-in voting, while 29 states allow voters to request a mail ballot without giving a specific reason.
In addition, eight states conduct elections entirely by mail, making the Supreme Court’s decision potentially significant for election administrators and voters in jurisdictions that rely heavily on postal voting.
States Begin Preparing for November Elections
The legal dispute comes as states begin moving forward with preparations for the November congressional elections.
North Carolina became the first state to mail ballots for the November elections on Friday, highlighting the limited timeframe for resolving the legal uncertainty surrounding the proposed USPS rules.
The Supreme Court’s decision could determine whether the new requirements will be implemented nationwide before additional states begin distributing mail-in ballots.
For now, the restrictions remain blocked while the Supreme Court considers the administration’s emergency application.
