A federal judge in Massachusetts has blocked the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from enforcing part of an executive order that would have tightened rules for mail-in voting ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, preventing the USPS from implementing or enforcing Section 3 of Executive Order 14399 for the upcoming federal election.
The ruling specifically stops the USPS from refusing to transmit mail-in or absentee ballots under the challenged section and halts any rulemaking intended to implement certain regulations outlined in the executive order for the November elections. The injunction does not, however, prevent the federal government from providing nonbinding USPS guidance on ballot-mail envelopes.
This decision follows a hearing Friday on the plaintiffs' renewed request for a preliminary injunction. The Trump administration is expected to appeal Tuesday's ruling to the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston. President Trump signed the executive order in March as part of his election integrity agenda. The order directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of U.S. citizens eligible to vote and provide them to states, instructed the USPS to establish new standards for mail-in ballots, and directed the Department of Justice to prioritize investigations into election officials who issue federal ballots to ineligible individuals.
Trump has expressed concerns about mail-in voting, stating, "Cheating on mail-in voting is legendary. It’s horrible. Democrats want to use it for cheating."
This is not the first legal challenge to the executive order. Weeks prior, the 1st Circuit rejected the administration's attempt to enforce other provisions of the order while a separate legal challenge proceeded. In a July 25 decision, the appeals court denied the DOJ's request to pause a June ruling that had blocked several provisions of Trump's order in 23 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia. Those states argued that the Constitution grants states primary responsibility for administering federal elections and that the president exceeded his authority.
Talwani had previously blocked several provisions of the executive order in June, finding they likely exceeded the president's authority. The appeals court upheld that injunction on July 25 while the administration's appeal was pending.
The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts praised Tuesday's ruling, stating it protects voting rights for those who rely on mail voting. The White House, the Department of Justice, and the USPS did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Talwani ordered the plaintiff organizations to post a nominal $100 bond by Aug. 18.