On Saturday, July 26th, 2026, a U.S. appellate court upheld a federal ruling that blocked President Trump’s executive order aimed at creating a list of eligible voters and limiting mail ballot deliveries to only those on the list. This decision affects nearly half of all states.

The Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to enforce mail-in voting restrictions in 23 states and the District of Columbia that had sued prior to the November midterm elections. The ruling follows an initial injunction issued by a federal judge in Boston in June 2026.

President Trump issued the executive order in March 2026, directing the director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services and the commissioner of the Social Security Administration to compile a "state citizenship list" of eligible voters. The order also required the U.S. Postal Service to deliver mail ballots only to individuals on that list. Trump described the changes as safeguards to prevent non-U.S. citizens from voting, stating in the Oval Office before signing the order, "The cheating on mail-in voting is legendary."

Democratic officials in the 23 states and the District of Columbia challenged the order, arguing it was unconstitutional because election rules are set by states and Congress, not the president.

Sources