Voting Rights Organizations Seek to Enforce Injunction Against Mail Voting Executive Order 

BOSTON — Plaintiffs in League of Women Voters of Massachusetts v. Trump today filed a motion to enforce a federal court order in response to the U.S. Postal Service’s (USPS) issuance of a final rule to implement Section 3 of the President’s March 2026 executive order on mail voting.

The rule was effective on August 21, 2026, and makes clear that it will be implemented “immediately” for the November elections if injunctive orders against Section 3 are lifted. As plaintiffs explain in their legal papers, this USPS rule defies a federal court order blocking the agency from “implementing” that section of the executive order and “completing rulemaking” for the November 3, 2026, election or earlier elections.

The final rule is the latest development in President Trump’s broader campaign to seize sensitive voter data and exert federal control over how states administer elections.

Through the Department of Justice, the administration has attacked mail voting and sought access to states’ voter files, including sensitive personal information. Through this executive order, the president is attempting to weaponize USPS to force states to violate voters’ privacy and interfere with how states administer mail voting. These actions risk the disenfranchisement of millions of eligible voters the plaintiff organizations serve, including their members.

On August 11, a federal judge in Massachusetts issued a preliminary injunction blocking USPS from implementing Section 3 of the executive order for the November 2026 elections, finding that provision was likely unconstitutional. The court’s order remains in effect, and no party has sought to stay it.

USPS acknowledged that injunction in its newly finalized rule, stating that unless that injunction is lifted, “it will not take actions to implement the rule specifically for the 2026 elections.” But the rule also explained that it was effective immediately precisely to ensure that it could be implemented in time for the 2026 general elections. This threat of last-minute changes to mail voting before the November elections risks widespread confusion and chaos.

The lawsuit was brought by several nonpartisan voting rights groups: the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts, the League of Women Voters, Association of Americans Resident Overseas (AARO), U.S. Vote Foundation, OCA - Asian Pacific American Advocates (OCA), and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.

They are represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), ACLU of Massachusetts, Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law, Legal Defense Fund (LDF), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (Advancing Justice-AAJC), and LatinoJustice PRLDEF.

Plaintiffs and counsel released the following statement:

“A federal district court issued a preliminary injunction less than two weeks ago to stem the chaos caused by this executive order. By issuing this final rule, the Trump administration has flouted the court’s injunction. The final rule threatens further chaos for voters, civic organizations, and election officials by seeking to impose last-minute changes to mail voting rules. Enforcement of the court’s preliminary injunction is necessary to hold this administration accountable for its unlawful action and make clear that voters can confidently cast their mail ballot free from federal interference this November.”