- A federal judge in Boston will hear arguments Thursday on whether to extend her prohibition against the U.S. Postal Service requiring states to use a new mail balloting system for the midterms as part of an executive order by President Donald Trump.
- U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani is considering whether to order a preliminary injunction that would bar the Postal Service from requiring the new system to be used for the midterms.
- Last week, she imposed a 14-day ban to keep it from being used. That order expires next week as more states begin sending out mail ballots.
A federal judge in Boston, Indira Talwani, is deliberating on whether to extend a temporary ban on the U.S. Postal Service's new mail voting system, which is part of an executive order by President Trump.1
The current 14-day order is set to expire next week, coinciding with the timeline for states to begin sending out mail ballots.3
Last week, Judge Talwani imposed the ban to prevent the new system from being implemented, citing concerns that it could disrupt the electoral process. Election officials have expressed that compliance with the Postal Service's directives is nearly impossible, potentially requiring a complete overhaul of their operations.
The new rule mandates that all ballots must be physically brought to post offices before being mailed to voters. However, if a single barcode registers an error, the entire batch could be discarded, jeopardizing tens of thousands of legitimate ballots.
In June, Talwani had previously ruled against the implementation of Trump's order, stating that the changes were too close to the election. Yet, a recent ruling indicated that her earlier order was premature, as the Postal Service had not yet published the necessary regulations.
A whistleblower report released this week warns that the Postal Service's requirements could lead to millions of mail ballots being discarded, raising significant concerns about the integrity of the upcoming elections.
“Judge Indira Talwani's initial 14-day ban expires next week as more states begin sending out mail ballots, creating urgency for Thursday's hearing. The executive order by President Trump remains the basis for the contested requirement.”
