--- title: "Judge Blocks Trump Order Limiting Mail Balloting" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-blocks-trump-order-limiting-mail-balloting" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/judge-blocks-trump-order-limiting-mail-balloting" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-blocks-trump-order-limiting-mail-balloting.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/judge-blocks-trump-order-limiting-mail-balloting" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-14T07:45:56.103Z" source_reported: "2026-09-14T07:19:47.000Z" updated: "2026-09-14T07:45:56.103Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 57 hype_score: 41 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-14T09:42:17.235Z" --- # Judge Blocks Trump Order Limiting Mail Balloting *A federal judge issued a new order freezing regulations that would have required pre-approval of ballot envelope designs and state uploads of recipient identities.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. Central claim attributed to named judge, with two full reports and multiple digests. - Craft 57 of 100, higher is better. Reporting is clear and holds together, but lacks quotes from affected parties or discussion of next steps. - Hype 41 of 100, lower is better. Headline accurately reflects the story, but some digests use slightly more emphatic language. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - A federal judge in Washington, D.C. ordered the U.S. Postal Service not to implement President Donald Trump's executive order on mail balloting. - The order was issued late Sunday, September 13, 2026, and freezes new regulations that would have required pre-approval of ballot envelope designs and state uploads of recipient identities. - This is the second federal judge to block the order, with the Supreme Court now considering the administration's appeal of a previous injunction. - Mail ballots are already being sent in several states, and a whistleblower report warned millions could be disenfranchised if the rule took effect. A federal judge in Washington, D.C. issued an order late on Sunday, September 13, 2026, directing the U.S. Postal Service not to implement an executive order from President Donald Trump that would limit mail balloting. This ruling presents another challenge to the administration's attempts to alter election procedures, particularly as the Supreme Court is set to review the administration's appeal of a prior injunction. The regulations in question would mandate that the Postal Service pre-approve all ballot envelope designs and require states to upload the identities of ballot recipients to an online portal. Mail ballots are already being distributed in states including Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin, with more states preparing to send them out. A whistleblower report submitted to Congress indicated that millions of voters could be disenfranchised if these rules were to be enforced for the midterm elections. ## Disagreement on Judge Nichols's previous ruling The Hindu reported that U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols had previously refused to issue an injunction in May, ruling that the lawsuit was filed too early. The Hindu stated that this was the reasoning the Supreme Court used when it lifted an earlier freeze. However, following the administration's issuance of the new rule, plaintiffs in Boston and Washington, D.C. refiled their lawsuits. WKMG stated that Nichols in May had refused to issue an injunction because he ruled the lawsuit seeking one was brought too early, and that this was the high court's reasoning late last month when it lifted an earlier freeze by Talwani, but because the administration had just issued its rule to move ahead with Trump's plan, the plaintiffs in Boston and Washington, D.C., refiled their lawsuits. ## What the coverage left out None of the right-rated reports below mention the whistleblower report warning that millions could be disenfranchised if the rule took effect for the midterms. The left-rated and centre-rated reports mentioned this detail. ## Who covered it Shares of the 28 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 54% (15) - Centre: 39% (11) - Right: 7% (2) 9 of 37 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-14T09:42:17.235Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 7 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-14T09:45:29.145Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - Left-rated reports highlighted that a second federal judge had frozen President Donald Trump's order limiting mail balloting. The Hindu, The Seattle Times, The Toronto Star, Bangor Daily News, The Record, and Welland Tribune.ca stated that the judge ordered the U.S. Postal Service not to implement the executive order. Several left-rated outlets, including The Hindu and HuffPost, detailed the specific requirements of the regulations: pre-approval of ballot envelope designs by the Postal Service and states uploading recipient identities to an online portal. The Hindu and HuffPost also mentioned a whistleblower report warning of potential disenfranchisement for millions of voters if the rule took effect for the midterms. The Hindu noted that mail balloting has been a frequent target for Trump, who has made unsubstantiated claims about its role in his 2020 election loss. The Hindu also pointed out the differing nominations of the judges involved, with Judge Indira Talwani nominated by former President Barack Obama and Judge Carl J. Nichols by Mr. Trump. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports focused on the judicial action freezing President Donald Trump's order on mail balloting. Outlets such as WKMG, Cecil Daily, Idaho Press, Daily Journal, Joplin Globe, Santa Maria Times, union-bulletin.com, and Winnipeg Free Press reported that a federal judge in Washington, D.C. ordered the U.S. Postal Service not to implement the executive order. Many of these reports also noted that the Supreme Court is considering the administration's appeal of a previous order by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani in Boston. Several centre-rated outlets, including Cecil Daily, Idaho Press, Daily Journal, Joplin Globe, and Santa Maria Times, mentioned that mail ballots are already being sent out in at least three states: Alabama, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. WKMG and The Hindu also included the detail that a whistleblower report warned millions could be disenfranchised if the rule took effect for the midterms. ### Right - Right-rated reports from The Daily Sentinel and The National Herald stated that a federal judge in Washington, D.C. issued an order freezing President Donald Trump's attempt to limit mail voting for the midterm elections. These reports also mentioned that a previous order from another judge is already before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Daily Sentinel and The National Herald noted that election officials say it would be impossible to implement the changes this close to a general election. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 2 - high: 19 - unknown: 11 - veryHigh: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-postal-service-mail-voting-b3049719.html) — Trump’s own judge deals blow to his mail voting crackdown - [expressodasilhas.cv](https://expressodasilhas.cv/mundo/2026/09/14/juiz-federal-ordena-ao-servico-postal-que-nao-concretize-ordem-de-trump/104606) — Federal Judge Orders the Postal Service Not to Carry Out Trump's Order - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/us/second-judge-blocks-trumps-usps-mail-ballot-order-as-supreme-court-weigh-in-looms) — Second Judge Blocks Trump’s USPS Mail-Ballot Order as Supreme Court Weigh-In Looms - [Noticias ao Minuto](https://noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/3050929/juiz-federal-ordena-ao-servico-postal-dos-eua-que-nao-concretize-ordem-executiva-de-trump) — Federal Judge Orders the Postal Service Not to Carry Out Trump's Order - [NewsFinale](https://newsfinale.com/local-news/second-federal-judge-blocks-trump-mail-ballot-order-as-supreme-court-review-looms) — Second Federal Judge Blocks Trump Mail Ballot Order as Supreme Court Review Looms - [NBC News](https://nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-supreme-court-rcna597633) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Dnevni list Danas](https://danas.rs/svet/tramp-sudija-odluka-glasanje-posta) — Second Congressional Judge Blocked Trump's Appointment: Yet Another Objection to Insistence on Changing Selected Rules - [The Hindu](https://thehindu.com/news/international/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in/article71465531.ece) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with U.S. Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Mish Talk - Global Economic Trend Analysis](https://mishtalk.com/economics/trump-appointed-district-judge-blocks-trumps-post-office-mail-voting-eo) — Trump-Appointed District Judge Blocks Trump’s Post Office Mail Voting EO - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/26b7cc40cf275f6f) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with U.S. Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [HuffPost](https://huffpost.com/entry/trump-mail-ballot-ruling_n_6aa78622e4b054da7a230a1d) — Judge: U.S. Postal Service May Not Implement Trump’s Mail Ballot Order - [WBAL](https://wbal.com/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme C - [The Seattle Times](https://seattletimes.com/nation-world/nation/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [The Toronto Star](https://thestar.com/news/world/united-states/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in/article_bee2e71b-0525-5d58-9843-fca8ebd6785d.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Loonie Politics](https://looniepolitics.com/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Cecil Daily](https://cecildaily.com/ap/nation/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_432bfabb-c443-5891-8092-af8d296f6139.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Idaho Press](https://idahopress.com/apgstate/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_600dd659-6321-51b7-a32c-395ef210e3da.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Daily Journal](https://djournal.com/news/nation-world/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_9544c621-d0f1-5bcf-90ed-f67c210ff7af.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Joplin Globe](https://joplinglobe.com/region/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_103d1eb6-730e-5cd6-9b73-98f1b39df879.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Santa Maria Times](https://santamariatimes.com/ap/national/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_241bf3ee-f7ff-5f37-8257-771c64a0f8a7.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [The Daily Sentinel](https://dailysentinel.com/anpa/us/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_6ce55968-bfee-566d-8548-a66b5902fdda.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [union-bulletin.com](https://union-bulletin.com/news/national/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_baf945cc-d8ce-5462-b46f-e3aa22a12d8f.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [verdenews.com](https://verdenews.com/news/national/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_c2f1e2b0-5f47-555f-8438-3a18cd15ad94.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Oskaloosa Herald](https://oskaloosa.com/news/politics/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_7224c0a4-fbd9-5609-a76b-a3e5c956b37b.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [goSkagit](https://goskagit.com/news/nation/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_224d9bc9-31e6-5b16-aae0-c344f91809d4.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [somdnews.com](https://somdnews.com/ap/nation/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh/article_209de63b-9da8-5a21-a4ef-8cdde0830721.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Associated Press News](https://apnews.com/article/trump-mail-voting-executive-order-midterms-906aa1247f096609e61a1bd2369a57e9) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [abc News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/wireStory/federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-us-136415151) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [WKMG](https://clickorlando.com/news/politics/2026/09/14/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Bangor Daily News](https://bangordailynews.com/2026/09/14/nation/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [KXL](https://kxl.com/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [The National Herald](https://thenationalherald.com/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second Federal Judge Freezes Trump Mail Ballot Order with US Supreme Court Poised to Weigh In - [The Record](https://therecord.com/news/world/united-states/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in/article_8aa85df5-17a2-5398-9a3d-26fe7fd4b924.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [WellandTribune.ca](https://wellandtribune.ca/news/world/united-states/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in/article_2ff080b3-1dc9-5023-8f09-803d278d1531.html) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Winnipeg Free Press](https://winnipegfreepress.com/world/2026/09/14/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [Durango Herald](https://durangoherald.com/articles/associated-press/second-federal-judge-freezes-trump-mail-ballot-order-with-us-supreme-court-poised-to-weigh-in) — Second federal judge freezes Trump mail ballot order with US Supreme Court poised to weigh in - [FWRD AXIS](https://fwrdaxis.com/second-federal-judge-blocks-trumps-mail-ballot-order-ahead-of-midterms) — Second Federal Judge Blocks Trump’s Mail Ballot Order Ahead Of Midterms ## Questions **What did the judge order regarding the mail ballot rules?** A federal judge in Washington, D.C. ordered the U.S. Postal Service not to implement President Donald Trump's executive order that would limit mail balloting. This order freezes new regulations that would have required pre-approval of ballot envelope designs and states to upload recipient identities to an online portal. **Why is this ruling significant?** This is the second federal judge to issue an order blocking the Trump administration's mail balloting rules. The Supreme Court is now considering the administration's appeal of a previous injunction, making the judicial process central to the implementation of these election regulations. **What are the potential consequences if the rule took effect?** A whistleblower report warned that millions of people could be disenfranchised if the rule were allowed to take effect for the midterm elections. Mail ballots are already being sent out in several states, and election officials have stated that implementing such changes close to a general election would be impossible. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-blocks-trump-order-limiting-mail-balloting. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Judge Blocks Trump Order Limiting Mail Balloting", https://mediabias.news/politics/judge-blocks-trump-order-limiting-mail-balloting