Judge Says USPS Violated Mail-Ballot Order but Won't Block Rule Publication
A federal judge said Tuesday that the U.S. Postal Service violated a nationwide injunction by issuing President Donald Trump‘s mail-ballot rule for the November election, but declined to impose additional relief that would prevent its scheduled publication Wednesday. Her ruling came one day after the Supreme Court found states had sued too early over Trump’s mail-ballot executive order and lifted an injunction in a separate lawsuit.
TL;DR
- A federal judge found the U.S. Postal Service violated a nationwide injunction related to President Trump's mail-ballot rule.
- The judge declined to impose additional relief to prevent the rule's publication.
- The Postal Service issued the final rule with an immediate effective date, which the judge concluded defied her Aug. 11 preliminary injunction.
- Despite the violation, the judge rejected further remedies requested by the plaintiffs, allowing the rule to be published.
- The existing injunction prohibits USPS from enforcing the rule's requirements for the Nov. 3 election or rejecting ballot mail that doesn't meet the administration's standards.
- The Supreme Court had previously lifted an injunction in a separate lawsuit, stating states sued too early over the mail-ballot executive order.