Appeals Court Denies Trump Administration's Request to Lift Block on Postal Service Mail Ballot Rule

A federal appeals court denied the Trump administration's request to lift a lower court's order that blocked new rules for mail ballots before the midterms, marking a significant development in a case that has reached the Supreme Court. In a nine-page opinion issued on September 10, 2026, a three-judge panel in the First Circuit Court of Appeals stated that the Trump administration did not demonstrate that the new rule from the U.S. Postal Service would not lead to "chaos and widespread voter disenfranchisement" ahead of the November midterms, as previously determined by a lower court judge. The appellate panel noted, "Indeed, appellants have not even seriously challenged this aspect of the district court's ruling, much less demonstrated why it is clearly erroneous." The judges also referenced President Trump's claims of mass fraud in mail voting, stating, "there is no record evidence of past fraud or a likelihood of impending fraud related to the November 3 election." The panel indicated that implementing the new rule could result in the disenfranchisement of millions of voters while providing minimal benefits in preventing voter fraud. The judges, Gustavo A. Gelpí, Julie Rikelman, and Seth Aframe, were all appointed to the First Circuit by President Joe Biden. They concluded that the Trump administration had not shown entitlement to a stay and agreed with the district court's assessment that the Final Rule is likely unlawful. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani had issued a preliminary injunction against the Postal Service enforcing the rule, stating that the requirements could be unconstitutional and could lead to significant disenfranchisement for eligible voters. The final rule mandates that states and localities meet specific design requirements for mail ballots, including unique barcodes, and use an online portal to submit voter information. The Postal Service stated that any ballot mailings not complying with these requirements would be returned to election offices. Over the weekend, the Trump administration requested the Supreme Court's intervention for the third time, with Solicitor General D. John Sauer arguing that the new rule is a lawful exercise of USPS's authority to regulate envelope design and required information about addressees.