A US federal judge has extended until the November midterm elections the suspension of a Donald Trump decree on mail-in voting, keeping current rules in place while ballots are already being sent to voters in several states.
What the Trump decree on mail-in voting was meant to change
The Trump decree on mail-in voting sought to tighten how ballot envelopes sent through the US Postal Service (USPS) are handled and delivered. It relied on new internal USPS rules affecting the routing and processing of mailed ballots.
These changes came at a highly sensitive moment in the US political calendar. In some states, the first mail-in ballots for the midterms have already been mailed to voters.
Plaintiffs argued that the new requirements, imposed less than 70 days before election day, risked slowing down ballot processing and overburdening local election offices, with potential consequences for ballot delivery deadlines.
Suspension extended through to the November vote
The Boston federal judge, who had initially frozen the new rules for two weeks on 27 August, decided to extend that suspension until 3 November, the date of the midterm elections.
In her ruling, she points to the “myriad of obstacles” created by the new procedures. According to her, the time given to local and state officials to understand and implement the rules is “negligible”.
The judge writes that it would be “virtually impossible” for election officials to comply with the new framework before the vote. She also reiterates her concern that millions of US citizens could effectively be deprived of their right to vote if the regulation, issued on 21 August, were enforced so close to election day.
In practice, this means the rules used in previous elections will remain in place for now, including for mail-in ballots already in circulation.
Legal showdown between the courts and the Trump administration
The Trump administration has already appealed the decision to extend the suspension. The day before, it had taken the initial suspension to the US Supreme Court, where conservative justices hold a majority.
This latest episode forms part of an escalating legal battle as the midterm elections approach. For the administration at the time, the priority is to defend the legality of the Trump decree on mail-in voting and the changes introduced within the USPS.
Donald Trump has repeatedly attacked mail-in voting, which is allowed in many US states. He regularly points to this voting method as a main reason for his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, an outcome he has still never formally accepted.
On 31 March, he signed the decree now suspended, designed to impose new nationwide rules on mail-in ballots.
Impact on distance voting and overseas Americans
Mail-in voting plays a central role in US democratic participation. It is widely used by:
- voters with limited mobility,
- people living in remote areas,
- and US citizens residing abroad, who also vote from a distance.
The extension of the suspension of the this case is meant, at least for these midterms, to preserve a legal framework that election administrators and voters already know.
What happens next will depend on higher court rulings, as the executive seeks to reinstate its new system before or after the elections.
For Moroccans living abroad who follow these developments from countries with large US communities, it remains important to monitor official information on voting rules where you live, and to plan your own administrative and travel procedures with reliable sources such as the official Moroccan ministry portal and our Canal212 practical guides.
For more context, readers can follow Canal212 news for Moroccans abroad.
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