On September 14, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 7-2 to block a U.S. Postal Service rule — issued under a Trump administration executive order — that would have imposed new requirements on how mail ballots are handled nationwide, including redesigned ballot envelopes with tracking barcodes and a system requiring states to submit voter information to USPS for verification before ballots shipped.
The ruling leaves in place a lower-court injunction from U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani, who found the rule conflicted with states’ constitutional authority over their own elections. The Supreme Court’s brief order concluded the administration was “unlikely to succeed on the merits” of its case, though Justice Kavanaugh’s concurrence noted the underlying rule might ultimately prove lawful; the immediate issue, in the Court’s view, was that there wasn’t enough time left before November for states and counties to implement it responsibly. Justices Alito and Thomas dissented.
What this means for Philadelphia voters: Nothing changes. Pennsylvanians can continue to vote by mail this fall using the same process as in past elections.
The Committee of Seventy will continue monitoring election administration developments at the federal, state, and local level and will keep our community informed as the 2026 general election approaches. As always, our focus remains making sure every eligible voter can cast a ballot and trust that it will be counted.