Trump administration asks Supreme Court to lift mail-in ballot rule block

The Trump administration is making an aggressive push to enforce new U.S. Postal Service rules that tighten the use of mail-in ballots ahead of the November midterm elections. The Justice Department filed an emergency request with the Supreme Court on Thursday, asking the justices to lift a temporary order issued by U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. The judge's order prevents the USPS from enforcing the new regulation, which was adopted following an executive order by President Donald Trump aimed at restricting mail-in ballots.

In its filing, the administration argued that lawsuits challenging the executive order are premature because federal agencies have not yet taken concrete actions that affect the plaintiffs, making any alleged harm speculative. Trump's executive order, signed in March, directs agencies to compile lists of U.S. citizens eligible to vote in each state and requires the Postal Service to deliver ballots only to voters on approved mail-in ballot lists.

This is not the first time the administration has sought Supreme Court intervention. The court had previously agreed with Trump that lower courts moved too soon when they partly paused his executive order before the November elections. The Supreme Court lifted a lower court ruling that had blocked certain provisions from moving forward in nearly half the states that challenged them. However, a separate lower court ruling in a different case continues to block the most significant part of the executive order nationwide, concerning the Postal Service's role. The Supreme Court's recent decision does not preclude states from renewing their challenges once the administration finalizes and implements new rules.