Supreme Court lifts a cloud over midterms, letting mail ballots flow as normal to voters, tell me about this news in (https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/09/15/supreme-court-midterms-mail-ballots-voters/)

15-09-2026

The article reports on a significant decision by the U.S. Supreme Court rejecting an eleventh-hour push by the Trump administration to alter how mail-in ballots are handled for the upcoming midterm elections.Key details from the report include:
  • The Administration’s Plan: The proposed plan would have required states to adopt uniform envelope designs for mailed ballots and submit lists of eligible voters through a newly developed federal online portal. Under the proposal, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) would have been empowered to refuse delivery of ballots in states that did not comply.
  • Potential Impact on Voting: Whistleblower reports and election administrators warned that implementing such sweeping rules right before an election could have caused major disruption and disenfranchised millions of voters. The concern was especially acute in the eight states where elections are conducted almost entirely by mail (California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, and Washington).
  • The Supreme Court’s Ruling: The Supreme Court rejected the administration’s request to stay lower court rulings blocking the policy. While Justices Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Clarence Thomas indicated varying degrees of openness to the administration’s arguments, the majority stated that the administration was “unlikely to succeed on the merits.” Legal scholars noted this language strongly signals the proposed rules are unlikely to ever take effect.
  • Election Officials’ Reaction: State election leaders and voting rights advocates expressed relief, emphasizing that election preparations will proceed as normal and that mail voting will continue under existing state laws without last-minute federal postal restrictions.


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