A federal appeals court on July 26, 2026, rejected former President Donald Trump’s attempt to revive an executive order (EO) that aimed to have the U.S. Postal Service act as a gatekeeper in this year’s elections by refusing to deliver mail-in ballots unless states verified voter eligibility first.
The Circuit Court of Appeals declined to overturn a lower court ruling that had blocked the plan. The Justice Department had argued that Democrat-led states challenging the order lacked standing to sue and that the case was not ripe since the administration had not finalized implementation. However, the appeals court found that states were already compelled to respond to the directive, noting that nearly half the states had obtained ballot envelopes that would not meet the EO’s standards. The three-judge panel wrote, “The plaintiff states have no practical choice but to respond to the EO now.”
The blocked order had directed the Department of Homeland Security to produce citizenship lists for states to cross-reference against voter rolls and ordered the Postal Service to develop standardized envelopes for election mail, refusing delivery of any that did not comply. Ballots addressed to voters not appearing on state-approved eligibility lists would also have been rejected.
A district judge had already blocked the entire order before this appeal.
Trump’s Justice Department raised concerns about a provision in the EO that directed prosecution of officials who allowed votes from anyone not turning 18 by Election Day—a standard conflicting with several states’ rules permitting 17-year-olds to vote in primaries if they would turn 18 by the general election.
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