Judge formally bars USPS from implementing Trump mail-in ballot rules

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., issued a Sunday night ruling officially blocking the U.S. Postal Service from enacting additional regulations the Trump administration required for mail-in voting. President Donald Trump in a March executive order required the USPS to enact more rules around the receipt and processing of mail-in ballots.

The new rules required the USPS to use specific envelopes with unique barcodes corresponding to a list of mail-in ballot recipients from each state. The rules aimed to protect against voter fraud, allowing the USPS to verify the ballots and reject or return ballots that did not meet requirements.

U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols ordered the USPS not to enact the new rules, citing concerns about the potential for disenfranchisement. Nichols’ Sunday night order argued that there was strong public interest in ensuring the rule isn't enforced, citing the risk that a large number of valid absentee ballots may not be counted.

Didn’t another judge already block the USPS rules last week? A lower court ruled more than a week ago that the new rules unconditionally complicated voting, prompting the Trump administration to appeal. A federal appeals panel rejected the administration’s request to overturn the lower ruling, citing the disenfranchisement concern. The Sunday ruling officially barred mail carriers from honoring the executive order. The Supreme Court is also expected to weigh in on the issue after Trump officials issued another appeal to the nation’s highest court.