Postal Service urges Supreme Court to approve Trump’s mail voting changes

The U.S. Postal Service asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to allow it to implement former President Trump’s 2020 executive order targeting mail-in voting ahead of the midterm elections.

The move comes after a lower court judge blocked the Postal Service from making operational changes that critics said could slow mail delivery and disrupt mail-in voting. The Supreme Court had previously lifted a block on Trump’s executive order itself, but the Postal Service’s final implementation remains tied up in legal challenges. The order, signed in 2020, sought to prioritize election mail but also included policies that Democrats and voting rights groups argued would undermine the reliability of mail voting, which surged during the pandemic.

The Justice Department, representing the Postal Service, argued that the agency needs clarity before the midterms to avoid confusion. Mail voting is expected to play a significant role in November, with many states expanding access to absentee ballots. Opponents of the order, including voting rights organizations, have warned that changes to Postal Service operations could lead to delays in ballot delivery, potentially disenfranchising voters. The Supreme Court’s decision could come quickly, given the time-sensitive nature of election preparations.

If the justices side with the Postal Service, the agency could proceed with changes like adjusting delivery standards and overtime policies. If not, the current injunction would remain, keeping pre-2020 policies in place. The outcome could influence how millions of Americans vote in November, particularly in states where mail ballots are a key part of the electoral process.