A federal judge in Boston on Friday extended a block preventing President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing new U.S. Postal Service restrictions on mail-in voting, handing opponents of the policy longer-term relief as states begin distributing ballots for the November congressional elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani issued a preliminary injunction sought by Democratic-led states and voting rights groups, hours after North Carolina became the first state to mail ballots for the November 3 elections.
The administration quickly filed a notice of appeal.
The USPS rule requires states to provide lists of mail-ballot recipients and mandates unique barcodes on outbound and returned ballot envelopes.
Under the system, USPS could refuse to deliver ballots that fail to meet the standards or are linked to voters absent from the supplied lists.
Talwani concluded that Congress had not delegated authority over voting to the Postal Service and ruled that the new requirements conflicted with federal law and were unconstitutional.
She also found it implausible that states could comply before this year’s elections, citing the need for thousands of election jurisdictions to redesign ballots, print them and submit voter information through a USPS online portal that does not yet exist.
The judge said the immediate deadlines could also create confusion for organizations advising voters about mail voting.
Trump signed an executive order in March directing changes that led to the Postal Service rule.
A coalition of 24 state attorneys general challenged the restrictions, while voter service and civic groups represented by the American Civil Liberties Union also sued.
Talwani had previously imposed a temporary restraining order after the Supreme Court lifted an earlier block, finding that the lawsuits had been filed prematurely before USPS formally issued its implementing rule.
The administration subsequently asked the Supreme Court to lift Talwani’s temporary order.
Postmaster General David Steiner defended the agency’s actions while saying USPS would follow the courts’ determination.
The White House did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
The injunction leaves the restrictions blocked while litigation continues, with the dispute unfolding as election officials begin sending ballots and the November elections draw closer.