A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration cannot enforce proposed restrictions on mail-in voting in 23 states that challenged the measures, leaving the changes on hold ahead of the US midterm elections. The First Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston issued a 2-1 decision on Saturday, upholding an earlier order that blocked the administration from implementing the restrictions in the states involved in the lawsuit. Court backs state control of electionsThe court said the Constitution gives state and local authorities responsibility for administering federal elections. In their majority opinion, the judges said the executive order would introduce "unprecedented levels of involvement by federal officials in how states administer elections". They warned the measures could create confusion and risk disenfranchising eligible voters if introduced before the November midterm elections. The ruling follows a separate decision last week by a federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., which lifted a nationwide injunction against the executive order. As a result, it remains unclear whether the US Postal Service will seek to apply the proposed restrictions in the 27 states not covered by the Massachusetts-based injunction. The White House did not immediately comment on the latest ruling. Postal Service proposalPresident Donald Trump signed an executive order in March 2026 calling for greater federal oversight of mail-in voting. In June, the US Postal Service proposed new regulations requiring states to provide approved voter lists and introducing stricter rules governing mail-in ballots. Postmaster General David Steiner told Congress that, under the proposed regulations, the Postal Service would refuse to deliver ballots in states that did not comply with the new requirements. During a Senate hearing, Democratic Senator Gary Peters of Michigan asked whether ballots would still be delivered if a state refused to provide its absentee voter list to the federal government. Steiner replied that, under the proposed regulation, the Postal Service would inform such states that it required the voter list before delivering ballots. A Postal Service spokesperson declined to say last week whether the agency intended to implement the proposed restrictions, citing ongoing litigation. The Trump administration has indicated it may appeal the case to the US Supreme Court. Debate over voter fraudTrump has repeatedly claimed that mail-in voting is vulnerable to widespread fraud, although those allegations have not been supported by evidence. A November 2025 analysis by the Brookings Institution found that fraud involving mail ballots was extremely uncommon. Examining the 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2022 general elections, researchers estimated an average fraud rate of 0.000043%, equivalent to about four fraudulent mail votes for every 10 million cast. Separately, the Heritage Foundation's election fraud database records 387 cases involving fraudulent absentee ballots across all US elections documented since 1982. The latest ruling applies only to the 23 states that brought the legal challenge, potentially leaving different voting rules in place across the country while the legal battle continues. Join the discussion? 27 July 2026
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