The Department of Justice petitions the Supreme Court to allow the U.S. Postal Service to enforce new mail ballot restrictions.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson did not grant the immediate request, but ordered responses to be filed by Wednesday. These restrictions, part of an executive order from the administration, require states to obtain federal approval for envelope designs and submit lists of eligible mail-in voters to an online portal. If states fail to meet these requirements, the U.S. Postal Service may refuse to deliver ballots. A federal district court judge previously blocked these restrictions, ruling that they would inevitably lead to voter disenfranchisement. North Carolina became the first state to mail out absentee ballots for the 2026 midterm elections on September 4. While the state voluntarily submitted its envelope design for review, it continues to challenge the constitutionality of the federal restrictions in court. The administration maintains that mail-in voting is inherently corrupt, while critics argue the rules threaten to disenfranchise thousands of voters across the political spectrum.