Federal Judge Lifts Nationwide Ban on Trump's Mail Voting Policy

<p>A federal judge removed a nationwide ban on President Trump's mail-in voting policy on August 26, 2026, after the Supreme Court cleared the way earlier that week.</p><p><strong>The big picture: </strong>The decision eliminates the last major legal obstacle to the administration's plan, although court challenges regarding the rule continue.</p><hr /><p><strong>Driving the news:</strong> U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani vacated her August preliminary injunction, citing the Supreme Court's Monday decision in a separate case.</p><ul><li>Her order was issued without prejudice, allowing plaintiffs to amend their complaint and seek a new injunction following the Postal Service's issuance of its final rule.</li><li>Talwani, who presided over the separate case that reached the Supreme Court, noted it was likely the Supreme Court would apply similar reasoning to her nationwide injunction.</li><li>She quoted the Supreme Court's unsigned majority opinion, stating, "Despite acknowledging that the disposition of the government's emergency application 'does not mean that any measure taken by the Government to implement the Order will necessarily be lawful,' the Supreme Court found any judicial review of the merits unavailable at this time."</li></ul><p><strong>Catch up quick: </strong>The Supreme Court did not rule on the merits of Trump's executive order when halting Talwani's separate injunction, which only affected the states that sued.</p><ul><li>The majority determined it was premature to assess whether the states had experienced any injury.</li><li>They stated, "Federal courts review final rules, not proposed rules—and certainly not antecedent internal directives to propose a rule. If the Postal Service's final rule harms the States, they may challenge that rule."</li><li>The USPS has published its rule, leading to another lawsuit from a group of states as the midterm elections approach.</li></ul><p>This is a breaking news story and will be updated.</p>