A federal appeals court has allowed the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) to continue pursuing a proposed election mail rule while a legal challenge against the policy moves forward.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit issued a unanimous ruling Friday allowing the USPS to proceed with the proposed rule while a legal challenge continues.
The decision paused a lower court order that had blocked the policy after a lawsuit brought by the NAACP.
The judges concluded the lawsuit may have been filed too early because the USPS proposal has not yet been finalized and said the agency showed it had a strong chance of succeeding on key arguments.
The court also said the administration could face “irreparable harm” if prevented from implementing the rule before the 2026 midterm elections.
“There can be no do over once the election occurs,” the court wrote, noting that election procedures cannot simply be corrected after ballots are cast and results are finalized.
The dispute began after President Donald Trump directed federal agencies to pursue additional election verification measures, including changes involving federal election mail.
The policy would require states to provide voter registration information and other election-related data before federal election ballots are mailed, according to CDM Press.
Postmaster General David Steiner previously told lawmakers that the purpose of the proposal was to ensure “the right ballots are going to the right people.”
During a Senate hearing, Steiner said the Postal Service would require states to provide voter information before delivering absentee ballots under the proposed regulation.
The NAACP challenged the rule, arguing that it conflicts with a 2021 settlement requiring USPS to prioritize the timely delivery of election mail through the 2028 election cycle.
A lower court agreed with the group’s argument and temporarily blocked the policy before the appeals court intervened.
The appeals court’s decision does not determine whether the USPS proposal will ultimately become law.
Instead, it allows the Postal Service to continue moving forward with the rule while litigation proceeds.
A separate injunction issued by a Massachusetts federal judge remains in place and is not affected by Friday’s ruling, according to ABC News.
Supporters of the proposal say the changes would strengthen election security by requiring additional verification measures to help ensure federal ballots are sent only to eligible voters.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli called the ruling a victory for election integrity and said it could have significant effects in states such as California, where most voters receive ballots by mail, Conservative Brief reported.
California officials have defended the state’s election system, saying it includes safeguards designed to protect the voting process.
The ruling does not finalize the proposed rule, but it allows the administration’s challenge to continue while the broader legal fight moves forward.
The legal dispute comes as the Trump administration continues its broader push for stricter election safeguards and increased oversight of voting procedures.
The administration has also pushed for other election measures, including the SAVE America Act, which supporters say would increase voter verification requirements.
The USPS case is one of several legal battles involving the Trump administration’s efforts to impose additional election safeguards and change how voting procedures are administered.
The Supreme Court previously ruled in a separate case involving Mississippi that federal law does not prevent states from counting certain mail ballots received after Election Day if they were postmarked by the deadline.
The ruling keeps the proposal alive during the appeals process, but it does not decide whether the USPS policy will ultimately take effect.
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