A federal judge has extended a prohibition against the U.S. Postal Service, effectively blocking an executive order from President Donald Trump that aimed to restrict mail voting ahead of the midterm elections. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani issued the preliminary injunction on Friday, creating a significant hurdle for the administration just as several states have already begun distributing ballots to voters. While the White House has indicated it intends to appeal the decision to the 1st Circuit Court of Appeals, the window for making systemic changes to voting procedures is rapidly closing.

In her ruling, Judge Talwani emphasized that the tight timeline makes any sudden shift in postal operations dangerous for democratic participation. She noted that because plaintiff states are legally required to send millions of ballots within specific windows, pivoting this late in the election cycle would almost certainly lead to widespread disenfranchisement of eligible voters. Although the court’s order technically allows states to adopt the new Postal Service system voluntarily, not a single state has stepped forward to do so.

This legal clash is part of a broader effort by President Trump to curtail mail voting, a process he has frequently criticized despite using it himself. Since his 2020 loss, Trump has repeatedly made baseless claims regarding fraud associated with mail ballots and attempted various administrative maneuvers to alter registration and voting rules. However, previous attempts, such as requiring documentary proof of citizenship for voter registration, were struck down by judges who ruled that authority over election procedures rests with the states and Congress rather than the presidency.

The stakes remain high as both parties fight for control of Congress in an environment where nearly one third of American voters rely on mail ballots. Election officials have warned that there simply isn’t enough time left to overhaul their existing systems to meet New Postal Service directives without risking chaos at the polls. For now, however, those established processes will remain intact as North Carolina and other states continue their rollout of mail-in voting materials.