Trump administration renews Supreme Court push to enforce mail ballot rules

The Trump administration has again asked the Supreme Court to intervene after a federal judge blocked enforcement of new restrictions on mail ballots, a move that could affect the upcoming midterm elections.

In a filing on Sunday, Solicitor General John Sauer urged the high court to lift an injunction issued by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani. The injunction prevents the U.S. Postal Service from enforcing an executive order by President Donald Trump that imposes stricter rules on mail-in voting.

Sauer warned that time is running out, noting that North Carolina has already begun sending out ballots. Alabama is scheduled to start on September 9, and at least five more states will follow the week of September 13. Once ballots enter the mail system, he argued, they cannot be retrieved, and the injunction creates uncertainty by making compliance voluntary rather than mandatory.

This is the third time the administration has asked the Supreme Court to step in. The Court has so far allowed the plan to proceed but has not ruled on its legality.

The dispute carries significant weight because nearly one-third of U.S. voters cast mail ballots, and control of Congress is at stake this year. Democratic-led states and voting rights groups argue the changes are unconstitutional, while election officials say there is not enough time to adjust their systems.

The administration describes the restrictions as commonsense measures within its authority to regulate the mail. Sauer said an immediate administrative stay would remove the "improper cloud of uncertainty" and make clear that compliance is not optional.

President Trump has long sought to limit mail voting, despite using the method himself. He has repeatedly made unsubstantiated claims of fraud, including false assertions about his 2020 loss to Democrat Joe Biden. So far, he has not succeeded in changing the long-established voting procedure.