Context:

A federal judge blocked President Trump’s executive order to create a federal voter list and direct the USPS to mail ballots only to those on it, ruling the move infringes the separation of powers and oversteps constitutional authority. Plaintiffs argued the president lacks standing to set election rules and that the measure encroaches on state and congressional powers. The ruling comes amid a broader push to curb mail voting ahead of the upcoming midterms, marking a second legal setback for the administration in as many days. The decision is temporary, with the possibility of an appeal as the administration continues to push its election-rule agenda.

Dive Deeper:

• On June 25, 2026, U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani blocked the executive order that would have established a federal voter list and instructed the Postal Service to distribute mail ballots only to individuals on that list, citing violations of the separation of powers.

• The ruling hinges on the argument that the Constitution does not grant the President authority over election administration, a point Talwani emphasized as she described the separation of federal and state roles in election rules.

• Separately, the USPS had proposed a rule mirroring the executive order, urging states to compile cross-referenced lists of mail voters, with Postmaster General David Steiner signaling that ballots would not be sent to noncompliant states if the rule were approved.

• Critics contended the plan would grant the Postal Service undue power in conducting elections and potentially disenfranchise voters, framing it as an overreach into state and congressional domain.

• The court’s decision represented the second defeat in as many days for the Trump administration’s efforts to control election procedures, with another ruling limiting a citizenship-proof requirement for voter registration; both rulings leave the administration to pursue appeals.