US Supreme Court Rejects Trump's Mail-In Voting Restrictions Ahead of Midterms

A mail-in ballot, during the Pennsylvania primary election, in Philadelphia, US, May 19, 2026 [Hannah Beier/Reuters]

The United States Supreme Court has rejected Donald Trump’s bid to restrict voting by mail ahead of the November midterm elections, dealing a significant blow to the US president’s ongoing efforts to alter election regulations.

The ruling issued on Monday by the conservative supermajority court allows states to continue distributing mail ballots as they have for years, effectively halting possible last-minute legal challenges just as voting begins in several states.

Donald Trump has repeatedly questioned the security of mail-in voting, pointing to debunked claims of widespread election fraud. This stance persists despite the president himself utilizing mail-in voting, including in the 2024 election. Mail ballots, which have been established for decades, are proven to increase voter turnout and currently comprise one-third of all votes cast in the US.

President Trump speaks at the Republican National Midterm Convention in Dallas, Texas, US, September 9, 2026 [Evan Vucci/Reuters]

What are mail-in votes?

Voting by post involves delivering ballots directly to the homes of registered voters, who then mail them back prior to a set deadline. Eight states—specifically California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington—along with the District of Columbia, conduct all elections entirely by mail. Other states permit smaller elections to be carried out via mail.

While instances of forgery or repeat voting do occur, they are extremely rare, accounting for only four out of every 10 million mailed votes, according to data from the Brookings Institution.

What has Trump said about the mail-in votes?

Donald Trump previously blamed his 2020 presidential election loss on alleged mail-in voting fraud. Alongside his supporters, he also voiced strong opposition to the expansion of mail-in voting implemented during the COVID pandemic. During the 2020 Republican National Convention, Donald Trump labeled mail-in voting modifications as “the greatest scam in the history of politics.”

His subsequent efforts to advance the SAVE America Act, which proposes sweeping new voting laws, have stalled in the US Senate. The legislation, which passed the House of Representatives in February, continues to face heavy opposition over fears that millions of voters could be disenfranchised.

How did Trump target mail-in votes?

In March 2026, Donald Trump signed an executive order directing the US Postal Service to take control of mail voting by creating new envelopes featuring specialized barcodes. This measure was intended to allow the federal government to verify that ballots originated exclusively from eligible voters.

For the midterm elections, this directive would have forced every state to adopt a uniform envelope style within an exceptionally tight timeframe. The order also mandated that states supply the US Postal Service with lists of eligible voters prior to the elections. Multiple government departments, such as Homeland Security and US Citizenship and Immigration Services, would similarly receive these voter lists.

Additionally, the postal agency was granted the authority to reject mailed votes if they failed to comply with the new standards or could not be matched to registered voters on the state lists.

What happened to the order?

Democrats and various activists challenged the executive order across multiple courts, generating a sequence of conflicting rulings between May and August.

US District Judge Indira Talwani issued an injunction against the regulation in June, concluding that it likely violated the US Constitution. Judge Indira Talwani also emphasized in her injunction that enforcing Donald Trump’s executive order would prove practically impossible given the imminent arrival of the midterms.

However, that ruling was temporarily overturned by the conservative-majority Supreme Court in late August through a temporary judgment. At that time, the Supreme Court had not yet ruled on the constitutional legality of Donald Trump’s actions, siding with the Trump administration primarily on procedural grounds after the administration argued that Democrats had filed suit prematurely.

What does the latest judgement mean?

In its final and definitive decision, the Supreme Court declined to lift Judge Indira Talwani’s injunction. Through a concise written order lacking detailed explanation, the court indicated that the administration would likely fail in its ongoing effort to restrict mail-in votes ahead of the midterm elections.

Justice Brett Kavanaugh, an appointee of Donald Trump, joined the majority vote against the administration, though he hinted that he might be receptive to the policy at a later date. Meanwhile, Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas dissented from the decision.

Critics have long warned that limiting mail-in ballots risks disenfranchising voters who depend on the method, while potentially obstructing the delivery of mailed votes as several states—including Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin—have already begun sending out midterm ballots.