Appeals court rejects Trump bid to curb mail-in voting in 23 states | US voting rights
US politics | The Guardian — 2026-07-25 15:27:00 — www.theguardian.com
A federal appeals court has rejected Donald Trump’s attempt to enforce his executive order tightening mail-in voting rules in 23 states ahead of the pivotal November elections. The Boston-based first US circuit court of appeals upheld an injunction against the order, which a lower-court judge had previously found unconstitutional.
Trump’s Push for Mail-In Voting Restrictions
Trump signed the executive order in March, after repeatedly calling for stricter mail-in voting rules and promoting the false claim that his 2020 election loss was due to widespread voter fraud. This narrative has been widely debunked by election officials and fact-checkers, but Trump continued to use it as justification for sweeping changes to federal election procedures.
The order directed the Department of Homeland Security to compile lists of confirmed US citizens eligible to vote in each state, using federal databases. It also required the US Postal Service to deliver ballots only to voters on each state’s approved mail-in ballot list, and instructed the Department of Justice to prioritize investigating and prosecuting state and local officials who issued federal ballots to people deemed “not eligible” to vote.
Judicial Rejection and Constitutional Limits
Judge Indira Talwani, who issued the initial injunction, ruled that Trump lacked the authority to direct federal agencies to impose these requirements on states. She found that the president could not force the DHS to compile voter eligibility lists for state use, nor could the USPS adopt binding regulations on mail-in voting. Talwani also warned that Trump’s order risked intimidating local election officials by threatening criminal prosecution if they relied on incomplete citizenship lists.
The appeals court agreed, noting that the executive order imposed “rapidly approaching deadlines” and forced states to respond immediately, despite the administration’s argument that the legal challenge was premature.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims
Trump’s repeated assertion that mail-in voting led to widespread fraud in 2020 remains unsupported by evidence. Multiple reviews and audits have found no significant fraud that would have affected the outcome of the election. Nevertheless, Trump has made passing the Save America Act—a package of voting restrictions—a legislative priority, continuing his campaign to overhaul election rules based on these unsubstantiated claims.
Conclusion
The court’s decision underscores the constitutional limits on presidential power over state-run elections and highlights the ongoing legal and political battles over voting rights. Trump’s efforts to reshape mail-in voting rules have been repeatedly blocked in court, with judges finding both legal and factual flaws in his administration’s arguments. As the November elections approach, the fight over voting access and election integrity remains at the center of national debate.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/25/court-rejects-trump-mail-in-voting