The Supreme Court has ruled against President Donald Trump’s efforts to impose new restrictions on mail-in voting for the midterm elections. This decision allows the U.S. Postal Service to continue delivering ballots as usual.

The ruling affects several states, including Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, where mail voting has already started. Western states such as Hawaii, Oregon, and Washington, which primarily rely on mail-in ballots, will also proceed unaffected.

The blocked USPS plan required states to provide voter lists and barcodes on ballot envelopes for delivery. A federal judge in Boston had previously issued a preliminary injunction against this plan, citing potential legal violations. Another federal judge issued a similar injunction, which has been upheld by the Supreme Court.

Conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh authored a concurring opinion, acknowledging that implementing the plan in 2026 would be unreasonable due to time constraints for election officials. He noted potential legality but stressed that execution would violate administrative procedures.

A group of Republican state election officials expressed concerns about the plan’s potential to create chaos and errors for voters and officials.

Despite dissenting opinions from Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas, the Supreme Court maintained the injunction. Trump’s administration claimed the rule change aimed to prevent illegal voting, yet provided no evidence of fraud.

Mail-in voting was notably high among Democrats, with 37% voting this way compared to 24% of Republicans, as per MIT Election Data and Science Lab’s national survey.

Former President Trump expressed plans to eliminate mail-in voting through social media, despite personal use of mail ballots in Florida.