U.S. Federal Judge Blocks Trump's Mail‑In Voting Order

U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama‑appointed judge in Massachusetts, issued a summary judgment halting key provisions of President Donald Trump’s March 31 executive order that sought to create a nationwide voter‑eligibility list and to restrict the delivery of mail‑in ballots. The judge held that the Constitution reserves election authority for the states and Congress, and that the order “unconstitutionally violates the separation of powers.” The ruling applies to the 2026 midterm election cycle and enjoins the Department of Homeland Security from compiling citizen‑status lists and the U.S. Postal Service from limiting ballot delivery based on those lists. The decision was brought by a coalition of nearly two dozen Democratic‑led states and the District of Columbia, with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes praising the protection of the state’s long‑standing mail‑ballot system. The administration has said it will appeal. Similar injunctions have already been issued by Judge Denise Casper against an earlier Trump order that required documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration. The Talwani decision preserves existing mail‑in voting procedures for millions of voters ahead of the upcoming election.