US judge blocks Trump bid to limit mail-in voting in latest setback for president | Donald Trump
US politics | The Guardian — 2026-07-01 16:46:00 — www.theguardian.com
A federal judge has blocked a nationwide restriction on mail-in voting that was ordered by Donald Trump, marking another significant legal setback for the former president’s efforts to limit access to absentee ballots.
Trump’s Executive Order Challenged in Court
The ruling by Judge Emmet Sullivan of the US District Court for the District of Columbia halts the enforcement of an executive order issued by Trump in March. This order sought sweeping changes to the administration of elections across the country. Specifically, Trump’s directive would have required states to provide the US Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies with access to their voter rolls and to implement new balloting procedures. If states did not comply, the US Postal Service (USPS) would have refused to deliver mail-in ballots.
Fact-Checking Trump’s Claims and Actions
This is the second time in recent weeks that Trump’s plan to restrict mail-in voting has been blocked in court. The decision comes after another federal judge, Indira Talwani, previously stopped the administration’s attempt to impose similar restrictions across 23 states and the District of Columbia.
The court found that Trump’s proposed changes would have violated a 2021 legal settlement, which required the USPS to take “extraordinary measures” to ensure the timely delivery of ballot mail. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), which brought the case, argued that the new rule would have created unlawful barriers to voting and disproportionately harmed Black voters, who are more likely to rely on mail-in ballots due to longstanding inequities in access.
Implications for Voters
Legal experts and civil rights advocates have described Trump’s order as an unlawful attempt to create unnecessary obstacles for voters. The court’s ruling enforces an agreement that binds the USPS to prioritize election mail until 2028, ensuring that millions of Americans who depend on mail-in ballots can participate in elections without facing new federal roadblocks.
Conclusion
Donald Trump’s executive order to restrict mail-in voting has now suffered multiple defeats in federal court, with judges finding that the proposed changes would have undermined both legal agreements and the USPS’s mandate to deliver election mail promptly. The court’s decision is a victory for voting rights advocates and a clear rebuke of efforts to limit access to the ballot box through administrative measures. As the legal battles continue, the judiciary has once again affirmed the importance of protecting the right to vote for all Americans.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/01/judge-blocks-trump-bid-restrict-mail-in-voting