Supreme Court refuses to revive Trump's mail-ballot restrictions for November: in an unsigned Sept. 14 order the justices leave the Boston injunction in place, saying the government is "unlikely to succeed on the merits"; only Alito and Thomas dissent, and New York, a plaintiff state, will run its Nov. 3 general election under existing mail-voting rules
On Monday night, Sept. 14, the U.S. Supreme Court denied the Trump administration's application to lift Judge Indira Talwani's Sept. 4 preliminary injunction against the U.S. Postal Service's final ballot-mail rule, the vehicle for Trump's March 31 executive order restricting mail voting. The brief unsigned order (No. 26A305) says the government "is unlikely to succeed on the merits of its challenge." Justice Kavanaugh concurred, writing there is "at least a fair prospect" the rule is within USPS authority but that applying it in 2026 would be arbitrary and capricious because election officials lack time to implement it; Justices Alito and Thomas dissented. A second judge issued a separate injunction in DSCC v. Trump on Sept. 13. Practical effect: USPS keeps delivering ballots as usual and the November election, including New York's Nov. 3 general, proceeds under existing mail and absentee rules. The legal fight over future elections continues. New York was one of 24 jurisdictions that sued in April; AG Letitia James said she was "truly relieved." Trump called the ruling "a big loss for Republicans." Hochul, on NY1 the next evening, said "elections will be secure in New York State no matter what the Trump administration tries." Supersedes the Aug. 24 order that lifted the first injunction on procedural grounds.