The DC Circuit of Appeals just allowed the United States Postal Service to implement it’s new rule requiring states to submit voter lists before it will deliver mail-in ballots.
Here’s the ruling via SCOTUS Wire:
🚨 The D.C. Circuit has temporarily allowed the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with its proposed election-mail rule requiring states to submit voter lists and serialized ballot barcodes before USPS will mail federal ballots, staying a district judge’s order.
The panel said USPS is likely to win on appeal for two independent reasons: (1) the challenge is likely premature because it targets a proposed (not final) rule, and (2) even if adopted, the rule likely would not violate USPS’s 2021 settlement agreement with the NAACP.
🚨 The D.C. Circuit has temporarily allowed the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with its proposed election-mail rule requiring states to submit voter lists and serialized ballot barcodes before USPS will mail federal ballots, staying a district judge's order. pic.twitter.com/MRfGcBWa8S
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) July 17, 2026
The panel said USPS is likely to win on appeal for two independent reasons: (1) the challenge is likely premature because it targets a proposed (not final) rule, and (2) even if adopted, the rule likely would not violate USPS's 2021 settlement agreement with the NAACP.
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) July 17, 2026
This really is a big deal because this means mail-in ballots will only be delivered to legit registered voters. And because this is the appeals court, the only court that could overturn this is the Supreme Court, which hopefully will choose not to intervene.
The three judges were appointed by Reagan, Trump and Biden. It doesn’t say how they voted, but it would have had to be at least 2-1.