By GB News (Politics) | Created at 2026-09-15 03:41:38 | Updated at 2026-09-15 06:52:59
3 hours ago
Donald Trump has been dealt a major blow after the US Supreme Court declined to lift an order preventing a mail-in voting crackdown.
The conservative-majority court denied to lift a ruling made by Boston-based US District Judge Indira Talwani that blocked the US Postal Service (USPS) from enforcing measures introduced by the President in an executive order.
The executive order, issued in March, would have required USPS to to introduce unique barcodes on postal ballot envelopes.
States would also be required to provide a list of mail ballot recipients to an online portal managed by the post.
"The Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge to the District Court's preliminary injunction," the highest court in the US declared.
Justice Samuel Alito and Justice Clarence Thomas both dissented from the decision, while fellow conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh did not but indicated he may, in the future, rule in favour of Mr Trump.
Justice Kavanaugh, writing his concurrence, said the "final rule" could fall within USPS' "statutory authority", but argued enforcing the rule, just before the midterms, would be "arbitrary and capricious".
Mrs Talwani, who was appointed by Barack Obama in 2014, imposed an injunction on the rule on September 4 as 23 states sued to stop the order.
The US Supreme Court said 'the Government is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge' to the injunction
REUTERS
Mr Trump has previously decried mail-in voting as "mail-in cheating" despite his regular partaking in the system.
He has also long stressed the importance of the passing of his SAVE America Act, which would require voting ID, proof of citizenship and ban mail in voting, except for "Illness, Disability, Military or Travel".
Critics of the plan said thousands of legitimate ballots on the November 3 vote could be rejected as a result of the change.
Further complicating matters was the fact some states have already sent out their mail-in ballots, with some officials in Republican states admitting it was too close to the midterms to implement the change.
PICTURED: Protesters advocating for mail-in voting to be protected outside a Boston court
REUTERS
The American Civil Liberties Union has helped to represent some challengers to the USPS rule.
Sophia Lin Lakin, the organisation's voting rights project director, said: "This administration keeps testing the limits of its power, as if the rules governing our elections are merely suggestions to ignore when they don't suit the president's agenda.
"But the Constitution gives states and Congress the power to set the rules for federal elections — not the president, and not the Postal Service."
Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said the case was "one of the most important" to protect voting rights.
Donald Trump has previously called mail-in voting 'cheating', despite regularly submitting ballots by mail
REUTERS
"Trump's plan to make it harder to vote was obviously unconstitutional," he said.
"The Supreme Court had no choice but to make the right decision.
"The President's attempt to screw around with vote by mail was obscene. Finally, his scheme is dead."
And Gavin Newsom, the Governor of California - which heavily relies on mail-in voting - said today was a "good day for democracy, the rule of law and the American people looking to exercise their constitutional right to vote".
"Trump's attacks on democracy these last 20 months have been nothing short of un-American," he added.
