The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced that new restrictions on handling mail-in ballots are now in effect. This follows a ruling by the US Supreme Court that favored changes supported by President Donald Trump, despite ongoing legal challenges to these measures. The announcement was made on Thursday as states prepare to distribute millions of ballots for the upcoming midterm elections scheduled for November 3, 2026.
According to the USPS, the new procedures will require the agency to compile lists of eligible voters based on input from states, delivering ballots only to individuals on those lists. The Supreme Court's ruling on Monday allowed the implementation of these measures, although challenges remain, including a recent case filed in Massachusetts by 24 states. The attorneys-general of these states argue that the new requirements are unconstitutional and could cause significant harm by imposing burdensome mail voting regulations just before the elections.
Voting by mail has been a point of contention for Trump, who has claimed it leads to fraud, despite evidence to the contrary and his own use of mail-in voting. In March, Trump signed an executive order directing the creation of lists of eligible voters, which the USPS based its new regulations on. The implementation of these regulations had been delayed due to legal challenges from Democratic officials and voting rights groups.
The Supreme Court, which has a conservative majority, ruled in favor of the Trump administration in this case, which had been brought by officials from various states seeking to block the presidential order. They argued that the Constitution grants states and Congress the authority to manage elections and that Trump's changes could result in chaos and partisan abuse.
Voting by mail has gained popularity among voters from both major political parties, accounting for approximately 30 percent of ballots cast in the 2024 presidential election, according to federal data. Despite Trump's assertions regarding mail-in voting issues, experts, including a 2025 Brookings Institution study, have found it to be secure, reporting only about four instances of fraud for every 10 million mail ballots cast.