The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals granted the U.S. Postal Service a temporary victory to advance a mail-in voting rule backed by President Donald Trump.

The D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals issued a unanimous ruling on Friday that temporarily revived the U.S. Postal Service’s ability to move forward with a rule that could significantly restrict mail-in voting. The decision pauses a lower court order that had previously blocked the agency from implementing new standards. The rule, stemming from an executive order by President Donald Trump, would require states to provide the federal government with detailed voter lists and unique barcodes for each ballot. Under this proposal, the U.S. Postal Service would refuse to deliver mail-in ballots to states that do not submit their approved voter manifests. The appeals court noted that the administration is likely to succeed because the current legal challenge is premature and the rule is not yet finalized. The court emphasized that the administration would be irreparably harmed if the rule is not implemented before the 2026 midterms. While a separate judge in Massachusetts still maintains a block on the policy, this ruling signals a potential path for the administration to implement federal oversight of state-run elections.

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