GOP Officials Push to Revive Trump's Mail Voting Restrictions for 2028 Election
Republican state attorneys general are appealing a court order that blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing Trump-era mail voting restrictions for the 2028 election.
Republican state attorneys general from twelve states are appealing a September order by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols that blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a Trump-era mail voting restriction plan for the 2028 election (1). The appeal follows an executive order by President Trump and a revised rule released by the Postal Service in late August, which would have required states to provide lists of voters' names and addresses for mail-in ballot delivery (1). The states represented by the attorneys general include Alabama, Florida, Indiana, and others, and they are seeking to overturn the preliminary injunction that prevents the Postal Service from enforcing the rule (1). [1]
The appeal comes after the Supreme Court refused to pause a similar ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, which blocked the implementation of the USPS rule for the 2026 midterm elections (1). However, the current order by Judge Nichols applies to all federal elections, including the 2028 race (1). The Trump administration has not appealed Nichols' ruling, and the deadline for the appeal was Thursday (1). The Postal Service's revised rule was criticized by election officials, who expressed concerns that last-minute changes could disrupt mail-in voting for millions of voters (1). [1]
A whistleblower report highlighted concerns that the online system needed to implement the USPS rule had not been adequately tested, potentially leading to eligible voters not receiving their mail-in ballots in time (1). While the Supreme Court stopped the rule's implementation for the midterms, Justice Brett Kavanaugh noted that there was a possibility the final rule could fall within the Postal Service's statutory authority (1). However, Judge Nichols ruled that the Postal Service lacks the authority to enforce the rule without congressional approval (1). [1]
Republican state attorneys general from twelve states have initiated an appeal against a September court order blocking a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) rule related to mail-in voting (1). This appeal follows the Supreme Court's refusal to pause a similar ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, which halted the implementation of the USPS plan for this year's midterm elections (1). The blocked rule, which was released by the Postal Service in late August, would have required states to provide voter lists and addresses to ensure mail-in ballots are delivered (1). [1]
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U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, who was nominated by President Trump, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the USPS from implementing the plan for all federal elections, including the 2028 race (1). In a court filing, Justice Department attorneys confirmed that the Trump administration is not appealing Nichols' ruling (1). The appeal deadline for the Republican attorneys general was set for Thursday, but it is unclear how long some of these states will continue the case, given the recent Democratic victories in the midterms (1). [1]
A whistleblower report raised concerns that the online system required to implement the USPS rule had not been adequately tested, potentially leading to eligible voters not receiving their mail-in ballots in time (1). Election officials expressed alarm over the potential disruptions caused by last-minute changes to mail-in voting procedures, which could have impacted voters with disabilities and those in areas without polling sites (1). [1]
Republican state attorneys general from twelve states are appealing a September order by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, which blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a plan to restrict mail-in voting for federal elections, including the 2028 race (1). The appeal comes after the Supreme Court refused to pause a similar ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who is based in Boston (1). The blocked rule, released by the Postal Service in late August, would require states to provide lists of voters' names and addresses to the USPS for mail delivery (1). [1]
Nichols, a Washington, D.C.-based judge who was nominated by President Trump, ruled that the Postal Service likely has no authority to impose the requirement on states (1). The administration's earlier push to implement the restrictions for the midterms raised concerns among election officials about potential disruptions for voters who regularly cast ballots by mail (1). [1]
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A whistleblower report highlighted concerns that the online system required to implement the USPS rule had not been adequately tested, potentially leading to eligible voters not receiving their mail-in ballots in time (1). The appeal deadline was Thursday, and the Justice Department confirmed it would not appeal Nichols' ruling (1). [1]
Republican state attorneys general from twelve states are appealing a September order by U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols, which blocked the U.S. Postal Service from implementing a rule requiring states to provide voter information for mail-in ballot delivery (1). The appeal is part of an ongoing effort by these officials to push for mail-in voting restrictions that were initially proposed in response to an executive order by President Trump (1). The Postal Service had released a revised plan in late August, which would have required states to turn over lists of voters' names and addresses to facilitate mail-in ballot delivery (1). [1]
The Supreme Court previously refused to pause a similar ruling by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who is based in Boston, which stopped the USPS from working on its revised rule for federal ballot mail (1). However, that order only applied to this year's midterm elections, while Nichols' preliminary injunction blocks USPS from implementing the plan for all federal elections, including the 2028 race (1). The Trump administration is not appealing Nichols' ruling, as confirmed in a court filing by Justice Department attorneys (1). [1]
A whistleblower report highlighted concerns that the online system required to implement the USPS rule had not been adequately tested, potentially leading to eligible voters not receiving their mail-in ballots in time (1). The administration's earlier push to put these new restrictions in place for the midterms alarmed many election officials, who were concerned about last-minute changes causing major disruptions to the tens of millions who regularly vote by mail (1). [1]
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