Federal Court Enjoins USPS Mail-in Ballot Rule Ahead of Midterm Elections

A federal court in Massachusetts issued a renewed preliminary injunction, blocking the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) from implementing its final order on handling mail-in ballots for the 2026 midterm elections. The court suggested the rule was an unlawful attempt to regulate federal elections, a power reserved for Congress and the states. Separately, the USPS Office of Inspector General announced an independent review into whistleblower allegations that proposed mail-in voting restrictions could lead to discarded ballots.