A federal judge on Wednesday issued an order blocking the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from implementing an executive directive related to mail-in ballots. U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan's ruling effectively prevents the former President Donald Trump administration's mandate from being enforced across the entire nation.
The executive order had stipulated that the USPS would only process ballots for states that first supplied a certified list of eligible mail-in voters, among other specific criteria.
Judge Sullivan concluded that the executive order's provisions would contravene a prior 2020 settlement agreement involving the postal service and the NAACP. This agreement established judicial oversight over the postal service's activities, particularly those pertaining to the "monitoring and timely delivery of Election Mail."
The Proposed Rule violates paragraph 2 of the Agreement because the Postal Service cannot post documents reflecting ‘practices and policies for prioritizing the monitoring and timely delivery of Election Mail’ if its policies provide that it will not accept ‘noncompliant mailing’ and therefore will not deliver mail-in or absentee ballots to some voters, and if it will not mail ballots to any voters in a state where the state ‘declines or fails to certify a list,’
In his written opinion, Judge Sullivan explained how the directive conflicted with the existing agreement.
Nationwide Scope of the Ruling
The recent decision by Judge Sullivan expands upon earlier legal actions. Earlier this year, nearly two dozen states successfully challenged the Trump administration's order, leading to its blockage within their respective jurisdictions. Judge Sullivan's current ruling, however, extends this prohibition to a nationwide scope, ensuring the postal service cannot implement the order anywhere in the United States.
Prior Voter-Related Executive Orders
This judicial intervention follows another significant ruling from the previous week, where a judge appointed by former President Barack Obama blocked a separate initiative by the Trump administration. That earlier effort aimed to restrict non-citizens from registering to vote or participating in federal elections.
The lawsuit in that instance targeted Executive Order (EO) 14248, issued in March, which sought to establish a federal voter registration database and introduce new eligibility criteria for voting by mail. These measures were part of the administration's broader campaign to address concerns about voter fraud.
