On Friday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a temporary order allowing the Postal Service to move forward with a proposed rule requiring states to verify voter registration data before mailing federal election ballots. A three-judge panel, ruling per curiam, granted USPS's request to stay a district court injunction that had blocked the rule earlier this month in a lawsuit brought by the NAACP.
🚨 The D.C. Circuit has temporarily allowed the U.S. Postal Service to move forward with its proposed election-mail rule requiring states to submit voter lists and serialized ballot barcodes before USPS will mail federal ballots, staying a district judge's order. pic.twitter.com/MRfGcBWa8S
— SCOTUS Wire (@scotus_wire) July 17, 2026
The panel decided the challenge was premature since the rule remains in proposed form, and it found the measure unlikely to violate the 2021 agreement obligating USPS to prioritize timely delivery of election mail through 2028.
The D.C. Circuit granted a stay pending appeal, ruling that the appellants had met the "stringent requirements" required to pause the lower court's order while the case proceeds. In its order, the court wrote that the appellants "have made a strong showing that they will likely succeed on two of their arguments."
The rule traces back to Executive Order 14399, signed March 31, 2026, which directed federal
