Judge issues new block on Trump’s sweeping restrictions on mail-in voting

Even measures later blocked in court can create uncertainty and erode trust before Election Day.

A federal judge Thursday blocked a Postal Service regulation that would exert control over mail-in ballots ahead of the midterm elections in the latest setback on the issue for President Donald Trump.

In the US district court, Judge Indira Talwani placed a 14-day hold on the government implementing the order in a case that could be headed back to the supreme court, which on Monday overturned an earlier ruling of hers that had blocked Trump’s order from taking effect.

The US Postal Service rules require election authorities to assign unique bar codes to outgoing and return ballot envelopes, submit voters’ names, addresses and corresponding bar code information through a new federal portal, and obtain a review of their envelope designs.