The Supreme Court should let Donald Trump’s mail-ballot rules take effect before the 2026 midterms

Policy, personnel and internal politics of Donald Trump's White House, covering executive orders, cabinet appointments, the agencies carrying out its agenda and the litigation that follows. Spans both his first and second terms, and the advisers whose influence shapes each.

American campaigns and voting, from primaries and general elections to the candidates, money and rules that decide them. Covers federal, state and local contests, the machinery of casting and counting ballots, and the disputes over access that follow almost every cycle.

Federal and state elections held midway through a presidential term, deciding control of Congress and many governorships. Turnout falls well below presidential years and the president's party usually loses ground, which makes them a standing referendum on the sitting administration.

Legal and political framework governing who may vote in the United States and how, covering the Voting Rights Act, constitutional amendments and the litigation over registration, purges and district maps. Access and integrity are the two poles the argument moves between.

Federal and state court systems of the United States, judicial appointments, constitutional interpretation and the rulings that decide policy when the other branches deadlock. Life tenure for federal judges makes each confirmation a durable political stake rather than a procedural step.

Highest court in the United States federal judiciary, with nine justices who interpret the Constitution and settle disputes the lower courts leave unresolved. Its rulings decide policy the elected branches cannot agree on, which is why each vacancy becomes a political event.

Ballots distributed and returned by post, covering absentee rules, eligibility, deadlines, signature verification and how election officials process them. Expanded sharply during the 2020 pandemic and contested ever since, making it one of the sharpest partisan divides in election administration.

At issue is whether the Postal Service can require states to submit voter lists and approved ballot envelopes before it delivers mail ballots. Judge Indira Talwani has blocked the rule repeatedly since June, and the administration wants the Supreme Court to clear it while states are already mailing ballots.