A federal judge has lifted the last injunction blocking President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at placing new restrictions on mail-in voting. This ruling permits the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to enforce a finalized rule requiring states to share lists of mail voters and submit ballot envelopes featuring unique, federally reviewed barcodes. The change comes just weeks before the November midterm elections, during which around 30% of voters are expected to cast ballots by mail. The decision follows a Supreme Court ruling that signaled lower courts should reconsider earlier blocks on the policy.

The USPS rule mandates state election officials to upload mail voter data and envelope designs for federal review and verification, with any ballots failing barcode checks subject to return and correction. Election officials nationwide are preparing for the midterms, but several Democrat-led states, along with voting rights advocates, have pursued new lawsuits challenging the rule’s legality and its administrative burden. They argue that this new federal gatekeeping infringes on state authority to conduct elections and may disenfranchise some voters due to last-minute compliance issues.

Judge Indira Talwani’s decision to vacate the injunction relied on the Supreme Court’s recent clarification that legal challenges to such policies must be directed at the finalized rules rather than preliminary directives. Although the ruling enables USPS to implement the changes, Talwani and the Supreme Court have not ruled on the policy’s legality itself, opening the door for challengers to file further motions seeking to block the rule. The new lawsuits assert violations of the Voting Rights Act, constitutional powers reserved for states, and federal privacy protections involving voter information.

From the White House, spokespeople defended the policy as a measure to secure mail-in voting, with officials emphasizing the administration’s commitment to protecting election integrity. Meanwhile, opponents, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and a coalition of 23 states plus D.C., pledged to continue legal battles to prevent the policy from affecting the upcoming election. With midterms now less than ten weeks away, the controversy underscores the ongoing tensions over voting access and election administration in the U.S.