BOSTON — A federal judge on Thursday blocked key parts of President Donald Trump's March 2026 executive order that aimed to tighten mail voting rules and establish a national voter registration list before the midterm elections.
U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, an Obama appointee, ruled that major sections of the order were "legally void," finding the directives exceeded the president's authority and violated the separation of powers by interfering with states' constitutional role in administering elections.
"The Constitution does not grant the President any specific powers over elections," Talwani wrote in her 37-page ruling. The decision was a win for voters and Democratic state attorneys general who sued to halt the administration's effort.
The ruling largely prevents the United States Postal Service from refusing to deliver mail ballots unless states provide their voter lists to the Trump administration. It stops a proposed USPS rule that would have required states to send the federal government lists of mail-in ballot requesters 30 days before ballots were sent.
Talwani's order also stops the Department of Homeland Security and the Social Security Administration from creating a nationwide voter registration list. Both agencies had been tasked with compiling lists of verified U.S. citizens eligible to vote.
Both efforts infringed upon states' exclusive right to determine voter eligibility, according to the court. "The Constitution reserves the power to determine voter eligibility to the States alone," Talwani wrote. "Neither the Executive Branch nor Congress may interfere with this power."
The injunction applies across the 23 states and the District of Columbia that were plaintiffs in the lawsuit.
Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold, a Democrat whose state was among the plaintiffs, praised the ruling. She said it ensures the Postal Service cannot control mail ballot access or allow the Department of Justice to intimidate election officials.
"The Constitution is clear: States run elections, not Trump," Griswold said.
Since Trump signed the executive order, voting rights advocates and constitutional scholars consistently predicted courts would strike it down. At a hearing earlier in August, Talwani had expressed concern that the directives could unconstitutionally disenfranchise eligible voters.
