LANSING – This past Monday, September 14, the U.S. Supreme Court left in place a preliminary injunction halting the mandatory implementation of a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail ballot rule for the November 2026 election. The rule, following a March 2026 Executive Order, had required states to enroll every voter who is eligible to vote by mail with USPS and tasks USPS with compiling the registered voters into state-specific lists. The rule also establishes new design requirements for state mail-in ballot envelopes, which USPS must approve. Under the rule, USPS will not deliver ballots to voters who do not appear on the USPS-generated lists and will not deliver ballots in envelopes that fail to comply with the rule’s new envelope design standards.
“Every court that has reviewed this case has refused to allow this White House’s most recent attempt to disenfranchise voters ahead of the midterms,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “With Michigan ballots being mailed out in days, I am profoundly relieved that the Supreme Court has backed our voters, our clerks, and the Constitution against the Trump administration’s manufactured chaos and confusion. Here in Michigan, we have long led the fight to protect the right to vote, and while federal interference in state-run elections will likely continue, I am confident we will succeed in protecting that right from whatever comes next.”
“The constitution is clear: States run elections, not the federal government,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Today’s decision by the US Supreme Court rejects the federal government’s unlawful attempt to rewrite the rules on mail-in ballots, protecting the right to vote for millions of Michiganders who cast their ballot by mail. I’m proud to have joined Secretary Benson and Attorney General Nessel in this fight to protect our elections from interference. Michiganders amended our constitution to guarantee the right to vote securely by mail, and today’s ruling upholds that freedom. Our elections are safe and secure, and I encourage all eligible voters to make a plan to vote this fall. Let’s keep working together to make sure every Michigander can cast their ballot with confidence.”
“The U.S. Supreme Court did right by the American people and our Constitution. The president’s attempt to block voting by mail is a failed power grab and an attempt to take away our freedom to choose how we vote,” said Secretary Jocelyn Benson. “States run elections – not the federal government, not the postal service, and not the president. And in Michigan, we run them well. We have tools in place so every voter can track their ballot and make sure their vote counts. Voting by mail is safe, secure, and it is your right – and I will always fight to keep it that way.”
In 2018, Michigan amended its state constitution to allow for no-reason absentee voting, and registered voters may choose to be placed on a permanent mail ballot list. In the 2024 general election, 2,232,721 Michiganders voted by mail, accounting for 39% of votes in that election.
On August 26, 2026, USPS published the rule and made it effective immediately, just sixty-nine days before the November election. Michigan, along with 24 states, filed a lawsuit against the USPS challenging the rule within hours. The following day, the District Court issued a temporary restraining order, enjoining mandatory implementation of the rule. And, on September 4, 2026, the District Court issued a preliminary injunction, enjoining the rule for the 2026 election. Today’s order from the Supreme Court ensures the District Court’s preliminary injunction will remain in effect, and Michigan voters will continue to vote by mail in accordance with their constitutional rights.
