A second federal judge has prevented Donald Trump’s administration from implementing a new US Postal Service rule that would tighten mail-in voting requirements. District Judge Carl J Nichols in Washington, DC, issued a preliminary injunction on Sunday, 13 September 2026, stating that plaintiffs demonstrated an increased risk of a significant number of mail-in ballots not being counted in upcoming elections without the injunction.
The US Supreme Court is currently weighing the administration’s request to overturn a separate order that also blocked the rule. Judge Nichols had previously refused an injunction in May, ruling the lawsuit was brought too early, which was also the high court's reasoning when it lifted an earlier freeze.
However, plaintiffs in Boston and Washington, DC, refiled their lawsuits after the administration issued its rule to proceed with Trump’s plan. Election officials have stated that implementing these changes so close to a general election would be impossible.